Prisoner of War
by Everything In Its Right Place
Summary: Battousai is a slave to the citystate of Kyoto. He is their best soldier. One day he is taken prisoner by Edo and his whole world changes. An AU fic. FINALLY COMPLETE!
1. Slave

Hello my loyal readers! Well, my internet is still down so this story won't be updated as quickly until I get it back. You can still expect at least one or two updates a week though so have no fear. This is an AU story about Rurouni Kenshin. I decided to write about it when we were talking about Sparta and Athens in my Sociology class. Think of all the cities in Japan as city-states. Kyoto is much like Sparta in as much as it's really into war. Edo (that's the old name for Tokyo) is more like Athens. In Kyoto, many slaves are used as soldiers. Well, that's pretty much all the information you need right now. Oh, if Kenshin seems a little OOC, please forgive me. He's very Battousai for most of the story and if Kaoru seems too weak, that's because the women in Edo/Athens were taught to be submissive. Ok, enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin although I would really like to.

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Even if the woman hadn't been yelling, the people sleeping in the huts around her would have been awoken by the little boy's screams. Many villagers poked their heads out their doors for a moment to see what was happening. Upon seeing the guards, though, they quickly went back inside. Despite their best efforts to ignore the woman's cries, they still came pouring in through their thin walls.

"Please stop! Please don't take my baby!" She was on her knees begging the guards. They held her ten-year-old son down. The boy was unnaturally strong, and it took a man on each limb and one at his head just to keep him from squirming away. One of the remaining guards was leaning over the screaming boy's face.

"Please! I'll do anything! Just please let him go!" The guard snapped his head up. The sneer on his face stopped her voice in her throat. He started to laugh at the astonished woman.

"Well, ma'am, if your husband had paid off his debts before he died then this wouldn't be happening." She got up to run to her son, but another guard held her back.

"We've given you everything we have!" The guard smiled again and pulled out a short dagger.

"And it wasn't enough. So we will take your son." The guard dragged the dagger down the boy's left cheek. He cried out in pain. He was trying to form words but it wasn't working. He just wanted to get away from these men and this pain. Then the guard dragged the dagger across his face again forming a cross-shaped wound. The boy screamed again but no one helped him. His mother was struggling in another guard's arms, and he was pinned to the ground, bleeding profusely. The cuts were deep. His blood dripped down his face and mixed with his red hair. The guard stared down at him.

"Now you are the property of Kyoto. Don't you ever forget that."

Kenshin woke up in a cold sweat. He was having that dream again. Almost every night since it had happened he had dreamt about that day. For many months he had hoped to wake up in his own bed with his mother in the next room. He had hoped for the longest time that it was just some extended nightmare. He reached up and felt the scar on his left cheek. It was his brand. All the men who were slaves of Kyoto had one. It let the whole world know that they were not people but property. He looked around his small tent. The three other men who shared it with him were still asleep. He rose and went outside. Around him were hundreds of tents and small fires. Each one contained three or four soldiers. They had been battling with Edo for some time now and this was their camp. Beyond the small hill in front of them was the battlefield. Neither side had made much headway in the past few weeks, but they fought anyway. Giving up the field that lay there meant defeat, and neither the general of Kyoto nor the general of Edo would tolerate defeat. Kenshin had been in the army for nine years now and he knew that better than almost anything. The generals would sacrifice as many lives as need be. Kenshin didn't care much. He was the best soldier in Kyoto's army. He easily took out ten to fifteen times as many men as anyone else. He sighed as he watched the sun begin to peek out from its nightly resting place. Battle would begin soon.

"Battousai! Battousai is that you?" Kenshin turned when he heard that name. He was one of the few slaves privileged enough to be called by a name. It wasn't his real name though. They gave it to him at the age of fourteen when he mastered an impressive sword style and began to show his cunning in murdering people. Battousai was short for Battousai the Manslayer. That was his real title. That's what everyone called him. Kenshin was dead. Kenshin died at the hands of a guard who cut the scar into his face. The guard was dead too though. Battousai's first assignment was to kill a crooked guard. The man who scarred him had gotten in the way of his sword. This was almost true. The man who scarred him stood there as a sword came from nowhere and took off his head. But the target was also killed quickly so the officials praised Battousai. That was the beginnings of his career. He turned to see the voice that was calling him.

"Oh, Sojiro. Yes it is me." The boy walked up to him and smiled. That smile made Kenshin nervous. It was always on his face. Even in the midst of battle or while the screams of men in agony surrounded him Sojiro smiled. His face was unblemished though. He was there because he wanted to be. It was not a forced position.

"The general says that we should wake everybody up because the battle will begin shortly. I came to ask if you were ready, but I forgot that you're always ready. Well go and wake the east side of camp." Sojiro turned to the west and walked away. Kenshin turned back to the rising sun. He placed his hand on his swords. Sojiro was right. He was always ready for battle. Even when he slept, the swords never left his side. He sighed and moved around the tents. The sun glinted in his amber eyes. He would be fighting soon. Then he could be killing. That's all he really wanted to do.

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A/N: Okay guys, do you like it so far? Please review!


	2. The Battlefield

Okay moving on to the next chapter

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.

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It was noon, but no one could have guessed it. The world was shaded in gray for the men on the battlefield. A soft rain was falling on the men who had already met their ends. Their blood mixed with falling water and soaked the ground around them. Everything was wet, bloody, and gray. A red headed man gripped his sword and surveyed the dreary area around him. Tattered banners of both Edo and Kyoto were waving carelessly. The air was filled with the stench of death and the sounds of clanging swords. Screams and cries of the dying rang out through the field. There were no men standing around the man though. He had lived up to his name. Battousai the Manslayer killed every man that had wandered near. They lay around each other staring up with lifeless unseeing eyes. He sliced his sword quickly through the air. The blood of the many men he had killed that still clung to it was flung off in a neat line. The blood splattered across the face of one of the men, but his murderer didn't notice. All around him the faces of dead men were glaring at him. Accusing him. He didn't see them though. Each and every man lying on that battlefield had either the face of his father or that of the guard who scarred him. The situation he was in was their fault. He killed because of them, so every man who was slain by his sword carried their face. He had the overwhelming desire to mutilate their faces like the guard had done to him and he in turn had done to the guard. He still vividly remembered killing that man. He was the first blood on his hands, and he was worth it. After he had fallen but wasn't completely dead, he had sliced a cross-shaped scar into the man's cheek. Then he had removed his head. He had relished in the dying man's screams as the sword had cut into his face.

"Please! Please spare me!" He had never seen such terror in a man before. It made him feel powerful and requited. He had smiled at the man when his blade was coming down on his neck.

"I believe my mother begged for my life as well, but you didn't listen either." He would never forget the image of the guard's head rolling away from his body. He sighed and sheathed his now clean sword. He turned and walked toward some men. It was time to kill some more. Then, suddenly, he heard something over the cacophony of battle. A twang and then an unmistakable whizzing. He whipped around inhumanly quickly with his hand on his sword. Then there was an immense pain in his chest. His breath flew out of him and he was knocked back a few steps. He looked down at the shaft coming out of him and the small white feathers fluttering on the end of it. He was flabbergasted. Then another sharp pain sprang from his shoulder, and a second shaft joined the first.

"Arrows?" His voice was incredibly soft. He couldn't draw his weapon because his arm was in so much pain from the arrow. Two more slammed into each of his legs, and he crashed onto his knees. His other shoulder was hit, and he fell back wards. The soft white feathers fluttered in the breeze and the gentle rain began to blur his vision. He laughed to himself at his thoughts. He wasn't scared of the death he knew was coming. He wasn't begging the gods for mercy. He was thinking of how beautiful the feathers rustling were. Then the gray world faded to black.

The archer lowered his bow. Five direct hits in a row. He couldn't believe his luck. He had actually done it. He had actually killed Battousai the Manslayer. All of Edo would praise him for his victory. He smelled smoke wafting from behind him and turned to see his Captain looking over the battle.

"I got him, Captain Saitou!" The unenthused Captain glared at the archer. How dare that boy take such pride in killing the Battousai in that way? No man had the right to kill so great a swordsman with an arrow. If one could not defeat him with a sword then they didn't deserve to kill him. His death was meaningless this way.

"You are an idiot. How dare you disrespect the swordsman in such a way?" A small cigarette fell carelessly to the ground and was followed by the bow of an archer who overstepped his boundaries. Blood splattered over both and put the cigarette out. The Captain looked at his astonished comrades.

"What are you staring at? Remove the Battousai's weapons and retain his body. Don't let Kyoto have it!"

"We've given you everything we have!" 

"And it wasn't enough. So we will take your son." Consciousness came to him in a rush. He was angry. How could he dream of his pain even in death? How could the fates be so cruel? His face contorted as pain pressed into him. His shoulders, his legs, but mostly his chest. He could smell the blood. His blood. Then there was also the scent of medicines and bandages. Then there was something even more powerful. Cherry blossoms. He knew that scent well. Every time he walked by a cherry tree in bloom memories came flooding back to him. He slowly opened his eyes.

"Mother?" But before him was not his mother but a young woman. She wore a long purple kimono embroidered with pink representations of the fragrance she wore. Her long black hair was tied up in a pink ribbon. She turned to look at him and her big blue eyes met his hard amber ones. She smiled softly.

"Oh good. I thought you would never wake up."

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A/N: God, I hate not having the internet at home. It's so hard to write with people all around me. Stop looking at my screen! Eek! Get away you mangy college students! Please review!


	3. Captain's Wife

Moving onward!  Remember alternate universe.

Disclaimer:  Right now I don't even have the internet, more or less rights to Kenshin.

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                He couldn't believe it.  He was supposed to be dead.  He had felt the life rush out of him.  How could this be?  The young girl came toward him, and he sat up sharply.  His battered body cried out at the action, and he fell back down.  

                "Please be careful.  It took me quite a while to bandage you all up when you were like that."  She pointed to the irons that held his hands securely in front of him.  He tried to struggle against them, but it hurt too much.  He glared up at her.

                "It took a lot of convincing to get them to put your hands in front.  My husband assured them that you could get them that way anyhow, so they changed your irons.  There were five men in the room when they did it.  I had no idea you were so dangerous.  I'm glad though.  Your shoulders wouldn't have healed properly if they were the other way."  He looked at her like she was from another planet.

                "Why did you save me?"  She was surprised.

                "Why wouldn't I?"

                "I am a murderer.  All I do is kill, and I take joy out of it."  She looked down at him sadly.  How could he argue for his death?

                "Ah yes.  Battousai the Manslayer.  Believe it or not, even your life is precious."  He was angry now.

                "How can you say such things?"

                "How can I not?  My name is Kaoru, and I will be taking care of you for your time here in Edo.  What is your name?"  He glared at her.

                "You know my name.  You already called me by it."  She smiled lightly.

                "No.  I called you Battousai the Manslayer.  I know that no mother would name her son that.  What is your real name?"  No one had asked his name for nine years.  It was a distant memory inside his head.  Why did she want to know?

                "That man is dead.  He died when he was enslaved."  She sighed and sat down next to him.  The smell of cherry blossoms was stronger when she was that close.  She placed her hand on his bandaged shoulder.  Her touch was so gentle.  Why was she treating him this way?

                "I should really change your bandages."  He watched as she stood and walked over to a small cabinet at the far side of the room.  He took that moment to look around him.  The place he was in was a long room.  It held many beds most of which were full of men that looked in worse shape than he.  There were men so bandaged that he couldn't make out their faces and men who were missing more than one limb.  None of them were chained though.  It was only he who they thought dangerous enough to restrain even when he was injured.  There were other nurses and guards too.  They stood with drawn swords beside the door.  He lay in the furthest bed from them.  The furthest from the only way out of the room.  He noticed that since he had woken up the two guards had become six.  The sweet young woman returned to his side with fresh bandages and a jar of ointment.  He watched silently as she carefully removed his old wrappings and placed the cooling ointment on his tender wounds.  She worked diligently.  Right leg.  Left leg.  Right shoulder.  Left shoulder.  She gently rubbed the cream on his chest and began speaking.

                "So, what is your life like?"  He continued staring at her and didn't say a word.

                "Oh, well then, I guess I'll just have to tell you about mine.  I work here because my husband is gone so often.  He's a Captain in the Edo army.  I used to just sit at home and wait for him, but he told me recently I could go out.  I've been married to him for five years now.  Ever since I was twelve.  My family said it would be best for me."  She turned and picked up the bandages.

                "I cook for him, though not very well.  I keep the house clean.  I do the laundry and draw his baths when he's home.  I am a very good wife according to Edo standards.  I used to talk back to him, but I have learned my lesson well."  He remained silent and expressionless.  He just watched her meticulous movements. 

                "Yes, I am a very good wife now."  Then the door burst open and Captain Saitou strode in.  Kaoru quickly lowered her head and moved away from the bed.  The red head was almost sad to see her go.  The imposing man strode quickly next to him.  He reached down and grabbed his chin to tilt it toward him.  They both narrowed their eyes at one another.

                "Ah, the famed Battousai the Manslayer.  How does it feel to be imprisoned?  I hope my wife is taking good care of you.  When we bargain for the release of our men, we will need to return a healthy and useful killer.  You're no good to either of us otherwise."  He turned the face in his hand and stared at the scar the marked his face.

                "They really want their property back."  He pushed his face forcefully away and walked to his cowering wife.  She looked up at him hopefully.

                "Come home and make dinner and draw my bath."  She looked down.

                "But, Captain, I wasn't done treating the Battousai yet."

                "You can come here afterward."

                "But…"  He cut her off with a hard smack in the face.

                "You will come home."  She looked down dejectedly.

                "Yes, Captain."  He exited, and she returned to the red head's side.  She hastily put on the rest of his bandages.  He glared at the red mark on her face, and she did not meet his eyes.  She hurriedly put the remaining bandages and ointment away.  She called to him from the cabinet.

                "I must go home and cook for my husband."  She returned to his side with some liquid.

                "Here, drink this."  She placed the small cup to his lips, and he obliged.  It was sake.  Very good sake at that.  He looked back up at her.  Why was she being so kind to him?

                "I hope you feel better, Battousai."  She turned and he followed the red mark on her face with his eyes.  There were no slaves in Edo.  He had known that for a long time.  He had never understood why though.  At least not until now.  They didn't need slaves.  They had wives.  When she reached the middle of the room, he called out.

                "Kenshin!"  She turned back with a confused look on her face.

                "I'm sorry, what?"

                "My name is Kenshin."  She smiled lightly at him.  He really liked her smile.

                "Oh.  Well then, I will be back later tonight, Kenshin."  She turned and nearly ran out the door.

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A/N: Okay my friends, if you like Saitou, I'm sorry.  Please review!


	4. Smell of Blood

Okay guys.  Sorry about this taking me so long, but I only go to school Monday through Thursday.  

Taylor:  Thanks for so many reviews!  I will see in one hour when I get to class.

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                Kenshin couldn't sleep.  He stared at the ceiling and listened enviously to the steady breathing of the men in the other beds.  They all slept soundly.  They didn't fear their dreams.  They didn't dread their own minds.  He sighed.  The scent of his own blood still assaulted his senses.  It was making him nauseous.  He heard the door click open and watched a torch enter the room.  It headed straight toward him.  His body switched to fight mode.  His eyes narrowed and his muscles tensed.  It pulled at his still fresh wounds.  He couldn't stop the cry from escaping his lips.  The torch and its wielder hurried over to him.

                "Kenshin!  Are you okay?"  Kaoru's face appeared in the soft firelight.  

                "I'm fine.  I thought you were an enemy."  She smiled at him.  He looked downward.  Then his face twisted as a wave of nausea pushed through him.

                "Kenshin, are you feeling sick?"  She sounded genuinely worried for him.  He couldn't understand why.

                "My throat is just dry, and this smell is making me feel awful."  She looked confused.

                "Well, if you're thirsty, just go get some water from that bucket.  What smell are you talking about?"  He looked over at the bucket she had gestured to.  It was in the middle of the room.

                "Miss Kaoru, even if I wasn't injured so badly, these heavy irons keep me from getting up."  She looked at the metal restrainers he had referred to. 

                "Oh my, I am so sorry."  He watched her rush over to the water basin.  She returned with a tall cup full of water.  She gently placed it to his lips, and he drank greedily.  His parched throat felt better, but the smell was still making him sick.  He looked disgusted for a moment.

                "What is it?  Is there something wrong with the water?  Did you swallow a bug?"  Kenshin almost smiled at her.  She was so cute.  But instead he kept his usual frown.

                "No, it's nothing."  She shot him an unhappy glance.

                "That's not true.  You said something about a smell.  Is that it?  Is my ointment too strong?"

                "It's the smell of my blood, Miss Kaoru.  Your ointment's fine."  She began to carefully examine his barely clothed body.  The only things covering him were a loincloth and bandages.  It was hot out though so that was okay.  But try as she might, Kaoru couldn't find even a drop of dried blood on his chiseled form.  And she looked very closely at each and every exposed inch of him.  She moved near his head and looked over his face.  Again there was nothing.  She sat down near his shoulder.

                "I can't find any… Oh, I didn't even think about that!  I'm so sorry."  When she had settled into sitting, her hand had rested near his head.  A few stray strands of his red hair had gotten under her fingers.  They were caked with blood.

                "It's okay.  The color hides it well.  I guess I'll just have to live with it."  Although he was finding it hard not to throw up at the moment, there was nothing he could do about blood in his hair.  He watched Kaoru get up and run to the door.  After a few minutes, she returned with a large basin filled with water, an empty bucket, a cup, and a small cloth bag.  She set the basin and bucket, with the help of a guard next to Kenshin's bed.

                "Thank you so much."  The guard bowed to her and returned to his post at the door.  Kaoru looked down at Kenshin.  He was in a most unfavorable position for what she had planned.

                "Kenshin, do you think you could sit up if I helped you?"  He tilted his head.

                "I think so."  Kaoru bent over him and slid her hand behind his back.  She gently pulled until he was sitting upright.  She pulled his legs sideways so that he was hanging off the edge of the bed right over the empty bucket.

                "When I washed you before I fixed you up, I didn't even think to wash your hair.  I'm very sorry."

                "You washed me?"

                "Yes, of course.  What's the point in bandaging up dirty wounds?"  Kenshin didn't answer.  Kaoru reached for the band that was holding his hair back in the traditional Kyoto soldier high ponytail.  She loosened it and pulled it out.  Kenshin's hair was so matted and dirty though, that it held the shape.

                "Oh my, this is going to be more difficult than I thought.  Please lean all the way over."  Kenshin complied, and in moments, he felt the cool water flowing over his head.  It felt remarkably good.  Kaoru continued wetting it, and the empty bucket began to fill with bloody water.  Then she stopped for a moment.  Kenshin heard a rustling and tried to look up, but the mass of wet hair shielded his vision.  Kaoru's hands returned to his head, this time with some kind of soap.  It created a nice lather as she worked it into his long red hair.  She massaged his scalp as she did so.  Kenshin couldn't believe it.  No one had washed his hair since he was a child.  Even then, he didn't remember it feeling so wonderful.  And that soap smelled very strongly of cherry blossoms.  That must have been how Kaoru always smelled of them.  She finished and began pouring water over him again.  It was getting to be too much for the poor man.  He called to the woman as she rinsed his head.

                "Miss Kaoru, you said before that even my life was precious.  What did you mean?"  Kaoru didn't miss a beat.

                "I meant that every life is important, Kenshin.  There is no reason for any person to take the life of another.  I hate what my husband is doing.  I think it is disgusting and wrong.  If I had any say at all, I would tell him so.  He saved you because you were a good bargaining chip for him.  Had you not been, you would have died there on the battlefield.  I don't like the thought of that.  I do my best to save everyone I can, and I mourn for each and every fallen man.  Be he from Edo or Kyoto, it doesn't matter."  Kenshin stared into the bucket of water.  The suds in it were turning red.

                "I killed many of those men."  Kaoru put down the cup, and her hands returned to his head.  She ran her fingers through it to loosen any knots and mats.

                "I mourn for you most, Kenshin."

                "Why?  I am still alive."  Her voice suddenly became very soft.

                "I know.  That's exactly why.  I don't mourn for your life, but for your soul.  You said that you enjoyed killing.  You didn't understand what I meant by your life being precious.  Somewhere along the way, the men in Kyoto who made you their murdering slave killed your soul, or at least locked it away.  I mourn because if your life had taken an another direction, if somehow it was different, things wouldn't be this way.  I know there is goodness inside you, Kenshin.  I know because you are respectful.  You haven't once spit in the face or tried to kick any of the men like so many other prisoners do.  You haven't tried to escape, even though we both know you can.  I know because you call me Miss Kaoru and listen to me speak.  I know most of all because when you first awoke to consciousness, you called for your mother.  No truly evil man would do that.  I mourn for you more than anyone else because you are still alive.  Rather than live with the sins you are committing, you killed Kenshin.  Battousai was born from his ashes.  But Kenshin is still there somewhere.  I can feel it."  The actions of her hands became less and less dutiful.  His hair was completely untangled then, and became more and more comforting.  Kenshin kept staring into the bucket of bloody water.  It was rippling with drops of water from his hair and Kaoru's tears.  She hoped that he wouldn't be able to tell that, but he could.  What she didn't know was that his tears were falling there too.  They mixed together with hers, the blood of his enemies, his own blood, and the cherry blossom scented soap.  He tried to lift his body, but required her help.  She gently sat him up and looked into his eyes.  They weren't the same as they had been before she washed his hair.  In the midst of the amber were flecks of violet.  They seemed softer somehow.  Less angry and resentful.  His voice was almost shaky when he finally spoke.

                "I mourn for him too, Miss Kaoru."  She felt like her heart had been broken in two.  She didn't understand how a man she barely knew could impact her in such a way, but he did.  Maybe it was because she had almost lost herself when her marriage began as well.  A lot of her had changed, but she still knew who she was deep inside.  She placed her hands over his chained ones.  She stared hard into his eyes, relishing each and every violet fleck.  They were so beautiful in the torchlight.  The colors danced like the red in his hair.  Her voice came out in barely a whisper.

                "I think we should bring Kenshin back."  The corners of his lips upturned softly.  She couldn't believe it.  She thought this man was incapable of any expression besides confused, angry, and sad, and here he was smiling at her.  Her heart leapt in triumph.  This could work.  She could save him like she so desperately had wanted someone to save her.

                "That would be nice."  She took his hair tie and pulled his locks into a ponytail at the base of his neck.  Stray hairs fell from it and framed his face.  His hair was still damp, but Kaoru thought it was beautiful that way.

                "You're not in Kyoto anymore, so you're not a soldier.  I like this hairstyle better."

                "Me too."

                "You should get some sleep."  She carefully helped him lay back down like he was a porcelain doll and not a battle hardened warrior that all men who knew of him feared.  He closed his eyes as the scent of cherry blossoms from her and his hair wafted through him.  He hadn't felt so relaxed in a very long time.  When was the last time he had smiled about something other than killing?  He couldn't even remember.  He heard Kaoru gather her things to go.  Sleep claimed him before she left though, and he didn't hear her words or the soft touch on his hand.

                "I'll be back in the morning.  Good night, Kenshin."

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A/N:  Please review!


	5. More Human

Sorry about how long it took to get this update up.  I was really busy this week what with my birthday, my boyfriend's twenty-first birthday, Thanksgiving, and finals.  The good news is that my internet is fixed so that I can update more often.  YAY!!

Disclaimer:  Not mine.

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                Kenshin laid his head all the way to the left so he could watch her better.  The steady meticulous movement of her needle through the pink cloth entranced him.  Her voice floated through his head, making him feel light.  She was talking about making rice balls, but that didn't matter.  He just wanted to hear her.  For the past week and a half that the small bed had been his home, he had spent most of his time watching and listening to Kaoru.  She had spent every day by his side talking of trivial things and sewing the pink cloth.  Kenshin had heard the other nurses complain when she was out with her husband.  She had been paying too much attention to him and was neglecting her other duties.  This fascinated Kenshin.  He didn't understand why she spent so much time with him, but he was thankful for it.  It made him feel good inside, like he had found something he didn't even know he was missing.  She talked to him like he was a normal person, an equal.  But that wasn't what made his spine tingle.  No, it was the way she looked at him.  She seemed to be admiring his scarred body, memorizing it to keep in her dreams.  She tried not to let him see her do it, but he did.  It made him feel less like a slave.  Less like a possession to be ordered and commanded.  Many women had stared at him in similar ways before.  They would pay the captain of his squadron, and he would be forced to pleasure them.  He was a plaything to them.  A piece of meat.  But the way Kaoru gazed at him was different.  She never once tried to take advantage of him even though he was shackled.  He knew that it wasn't because she was married.  Many of the Kyoto women had been married too.  Slaves didn't count to them.  Adultery was between people not property.  But she didn't see him as property.  He was just a man to her.  But there was something else in her eyes besides the small desire that twinkled there.  It was something he couldn't place.  Fear perhaps or pity.  Whatever it was though, he liked it.  It made him feel more alive, more worthy.  It made him feel more human.

                "Would you like me to bring you some of my rice balls sometime?"

                "Yes, Miss Kaoru.  That would be very nice."  He smiled at her and, she sighed happily.  She didn't know what it was about this man that made her body feel so full, like her heart was going to burst every time he smiled.  Maybe it was the way the amber was fading from his eyes.  Everyday they shined more and more vibrantly violet.  The color reminded her of heather.  It was soft and beautiful.  Now the amber only remained in a small circle in the center.  A reminder of how dangerous he really was.  No matter how hard she tried to pretend it was different, he was not just some average patient in her small hospital.  He was a prisoner of war.  He was a soldier who killed more men than she had probably ever even seen.  He didn't get the name Battousai the Manslayer because he was gentle on the battlefield.  She couldn't imagine him killing though.  He seemed too sweet for that.

                "Kenshin, can I ask you a question?"

                "Yes, Miss Kaoru."

                "About your past?"  Kenshin turned his head to the ceiling.  He didn't want to discuss his life with her.  He didn't want her to know the atrocities that he had committed.  Ever since the night she washed the blood from his hair, they hadn't mentioned anything about his life.  But she was the only one who treated him civilly, so she deserved to know whatever she wanted.  He just feared she would stop looking at him in her special way if she knew.

                "You can ask me anything, Miss Kaoru.  I promise to answer truthfully.  Please do not hate me for it though."  The tender touch of her hand on his startled him.  He turned to meet her gaze.  It was rich with emotions he didn't understand and couldn't identify.

                "Kenshin, I could never hate you.  You don't have to answer if you don't want to."  He felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of his chest.  Why did her words make him feel that way?  Why did he fear her scorn so much?

                "Please ask me, Miss Kaoru."

                "Kenshin, when you killed all those people, what did you think about?"  His attention returned to the ceiling.

                "I thought of my father, Miss Kaoru.  He left a debt to my mother when he died.  The government took everything from her, even her son.  The last time I saw her, she was crying outside the place that used to be our home, begging the guards not to take me away.  She knew the life that I would have to lead.  When they cut this brand into my face, I think she screamed louder than I did.  I hate my father for leaving her with nothing.  For dying and leaving us alone.  It's easy to kill when you're taking vengeance.  Every life I took was either that of my father or the guard that scarred me.  The guard that laughed at my mother as he dragged me away.  He was the first man I killed.  His was the first blood on my hands.  I understand if you want to leave me now.  I will not be offended."  But her hand did not leave his.  In fact, she gripped it tighter.

                "Kenshin, I am so sorry.  How awful.  But, when you kill, do you ever think of all the wives you have widowed or the children you have orphaned?  Aren't you doing the same thing to them as was done to your family?  I don't think I could shake that thought from my mind if I was out there."  Kenshin was quiet.  His eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling.  Kaoru was beginning to get worried when she noticed a small tear drip down his cheek.  It fitted itself into the groove of his scar and rolled carelessly to the end to drip onto his red hair.  He did not look at her.

                "No.  I haven't really thought of that until now, Miss Kaoru."  The door on the far side of the room slid open and snatched the attention of both Kenshin and Kaoru.  A tall woman in a purple jacket with a pink kimono underneath strode in.  She had long black hair that hung loose and striking red lips.  Kaoru hurried to her side and ushered her to Kenshin.  He could hear Kaoru greet her as they strode closer to him.

                "Thank goodness you're here, Doctor Megumi."

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A/N:  Well, I liked this chapter.  Keep an eye out for an Inuyasha fic that I am cooking up under the tentative title "Disillusionment."  I got the idea for it while listening to the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy."  That should give you an idea as to what it is about.  Please review!


	6. Just a Toy

Sorry about the length of time that has been elapsing between chapters.  My finals are not over yet, and I have been writing term papers out the wazoo.  If any one wants to know the meaning of the last line of Kate Chopin's "The Storm," I got a 3000 word essay that will tell you.  That being said, let's move on to the disclaimer.

Disclaimer:  I still don't own them.

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                Megumi looked unhappily at the man who lay chained on the bed.  She didn't understand why the captain would want her to make a special trip to treat a slave.  She had grown up in Kyoto but had moved to Edo when she had married.  Her husband had long since died at the hands of some Kyoto soldier in the war, so she was stuck there.  It had been a while since she'd even seen a slave, but she still remembered their place in society.  Her family even had some of its own slaves as she grew up.  She distinctly remembered how they were supposed to be treated.  They were worthless.  They were not quite human beings.  Her life in Edo had been tolerable because she felt that she had been putting her talents to good use.  Now she felt like they were being wasted.  She looked at the slight body that lay before her.  All of the things she needed to see were covered by bandages though.  She leaned down and began to unceremoniously rip his bandages off.  He flinched and caught his breath at her rough treatment.  His wounds had been deep and were still very tender.

                "Doctor Megumi, be careful.  You're hurting him."  Megumi didn't respond to Kaoru.  She was a naïve young woman who Megumi didn't respect.  She stared at the man's now almost bare body.  The only things keeping his skin from her sight were the loincloth and the irons.  He had many scars that bore testament to the harshness of his existence.  They littered his small yet incredibly well formed body.  Without them, he would have been a sight to behold.  The epitome of strength and agility.  But they and the five wounds made him look frightening.  Megumi inspected each wound carefully.  None of them were infected because of the meticulous care of Kaoru, but the one in his chest was still a little open.  Megumi probed into it with her finger, and Kenshin's body arched off the table.  He cried out in pain.

                "Doctor Megumi!"  She turned to face the flustered girl behind her.

                "Will you shut up?  I'm trying to get this over with."  Her finger remained in Kenshin's wound, and blood seeped out around it.  His breathing had become ragged as the pain from her intrusion coursed through him.

                "I can't!  You're hurting him!"  Megumi lifted her finger out as Kaoru ran to him.  She cradled his head in her hands and looked at him with intense concern.  She couldn't believe how he was being treated.

                "Do you know nothing?  My god, you really are stupid.  He is a slave Kaoru.  There is no need for gentleness."  Kaoru glared at the indifferent doctor.  How could she say such things?

                "He is still a man, Megumi."  Megumi's face twisted.  How could this woman call a creature such as the one lying on the bed before her a man?

                "No, Kaoru.  That is not a man."  She pointed at the wounded slave.  She said the word "that" as if it was the most vile insult she could think of.  Kaoru stared at her in disbelief.

"How can you say that?  Of course he's a man."

"No, you idiot.  Men have jobs.  Men provide for their families.  Men take wives and take care of them.  He has never been able to make a decision for himself.  He has never made a dime.  He could never provide for anyone more or less take care of them.  And furthermore, he can not take a wife.  He is played with by many women though.  How many lonely girls have paid for your company, Battousai?  How many nights have been sleepless because they were waiting for you, one by one?  You see Kaoru; he is a tool for the government.  He is a toy to be played with.  He is many things, but he is by no means a man."  Megumi pushed a stunned Kaoru away and ordered Kenshin to get up.  After struggling, he sat up in the bed.  Kaoru stood gawking at them.

"Lift your arms, Battousai."  Kenshin labored to oblige, but it was too much and his arms fell after only being lifted about a foot.  Megumi hit him in his wounded shoulder and repeated her command.

"I said lift your arms!"  Kaoru recovered from her stupor and rushed back over.

"What are you doing?  Isn't it obvious that he can't do it?  Why are you making him suffer like this?  How could you…"  Kaoru's words died in her throat as Kenshin looked up at her.  There was something new in his eyes.  His expression was stoic and untelling, but his eyes seemed to scream at her.  They yelled that he deserved the treatment that he was receiving, that she just didn't know it.  They were full of pain and acceptance.  It hurt Kaoru deeply and she was unable to find her voice again.  With much effort, Kenshin lifted his arms then lowered his head so his bangs shielded his eyes.  Megumi looked him over for a few more minutes, then rose and walked to Kaoru. 

"If he is to heal properly, he will need to be unchained.  I will tell the captain."  Kaoru nodded dumbly, and Megumi walked out.  After a moment, Kaoru looked over at Kenshin.  He was still sitting but was slumped slightly forward with his hands in his lap.  The hair that was not restrained by the band, hung in front of his face.  Kaoru moved to his side and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.  She could feel him flinch under her touch, and it scared her.

"Kenshin?"  He looked up at her with eyes full of fear.  The amber that she had worked so hard to dispel was beginning to creep back up again.  She pushed a stray lock of hair from his face.  It hurt too much to look into those eyes.  She did not want him to fear her.  If anything, she should be fearing him.  She hurried over to the cabinet and pulled some fresh gauze and ointment from it.  She returned to his side and began to rebandage the wounds that Megumi had so hastily unbound.  After a few moments, her gaze returned to his face.  Again the hair shielded it, but his chin was visible and from it droplets of water were falling.  He was not shaking or making any noise.  He was not even breathing in a way that could betray him.  But Kenshin was crying.  Kaoru's hands quickly found his face and tilted it toward her.  She wiped the tears away.  His voice startled her.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what, Kenshin?"

"Being so gentle.  Taking care of me."  Kaoru frowned.  Could he really not know?

"I told you before that all life is precious."  

"But I am just a toy."  His eyes searched hers.  He needed an answer.  He needed to understand why she was being so kind when all he had ever known was pain.  Being with her for the past week had made him forget some of his life.  She made him feel like a real person.  But Megumi had just come and shattered that illusion for him.  He had to know her reasons.  Kaoru stared back at him.  His words had torn her heart.  Did he really think of himself that way?  Tears began to cloud her vision, and then they gently fell down her cheeks.  This surprised Kenshin.

"Kenshin, I may be young and not know many things.  But there is one thing that I know for sure.  You are most definitely not a toy.  You are more of a man than any I have ever seen."  Both of their tears flowed freely as he smiled at her.  The frightening amber began to recede, and she finished bandaging his wounds.

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A/N:  Okay, until next time, please review!


	7. The Cold

Oh my goodness! You all probably thought I was dead. Sorry about the long wait I put everyone through. I know you were all desperately checking your e-mails every fifteen minutes to see if I updated. Or not. Whatever. Anyway, I must explain myself. I just moved from my home sweet home of Sanford, FL to Gainesville. This is the first time I have been out on my own and I have to work more to pay my bills. Well, now everything has settled down and I've gotten into the swing of things, so I can get back to writing again. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: One day I will create a character better than Kenshin and their will be fanfics based on him and everyone will have to say that they don't own my character. Ha ha ha ha ha!!!! Oh, and I don't own Kenshin.

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Kenshin sighed and his body shivered unconsciously. As time in the hospital wore on, the nights had been getting colder. The other people in the small room didn't seem to notice. They wore heavy robes and were covered by quilts and blankets, but Kenshin was clothed only in a loincloth and bandages. The cold pushed through his skin all the way to his bones. He struggled to keep the heavy metal irons, which held the frigid temperature, off of his legs. But their weight was too much for his injured arms, and every few moments, they dropped onto the bare skin of his thighs. He could not help but utter a small cry of surprise each time. The man in the bed next to him was smiling evilly at his efforts. He was thoroughly amused watching the greatest soldier of Kyoto whimper and struggle. He pulled his blankets tighter over him and taunted the helpless man.

"What's the matter, Battousai? You cold?" At times, he even laughed. None of the nurses paid any attention to Kenshin. They were either angry with his almost constant caretaker or they were truly frightened of him. Either way, they didn't believe he deserved good treatment. He had taken the lives of many that were close to them. They suffered through the deaths of their fathers and brothers at the hands of the man Edo had dubbed the red headed devil. They spent countless nights holding their fatherless children, promising them that the frightening Battousai the manslayer would not come and strike them down too. So his suffering meant nothing to them. It brought only joy to the widows busily checking up on other more worthy patients. Kenshin stared at the ceiling and tried to forget. Forget about the nurses, his past, about the cold that was shaking his small frame. He focused on the singular thought that brought him happiness. Kaoru. He imagined her there with him, stroking his hair, warming his hands, covering him with the blanket that lay only a few feet away taunting him with its warmth. Yet for Kenshin, it could have been miles away. He could not get out of bed to get it. All he could do was close his eyes and think of her. Think of her and hold up the irons with trembling hands. The man in the next bed sneered at him.

"Talking to yourself, Battousai?" Kenshin ignored him and continued his silent prayer for morning when both Kaoru and the sun would return to warm his world.

"We've given you everything we have."

"And it wasn't enough." The dagger sunk into his cheek, and the blood ran down his face. Everything was so cold. The guard's hands, the ground, his clothes, even his blood felt icy. Frozen tears stuck to his face. He stared at the laughing guard. It was a twisted evil laugh that contorted his face and made him look horrifying. The dagger plunged into his face again. Kenshin closed his eyes and waited far the pain caused by the dragging of the blade. But it never came. He opened eyes to see that everything was gone. The guards, his mother, the street, even his younger self's body. It was only him in a sea of nothingness. A void that forced the cold and pain away. He was wrapped in the warmth he had been praying for. Then cherry blossoms danced around him. They were innumerable and steady. They fell over him and kissed his senses. He inhaled deeply to capture their scent, her scent. Then he closed his eyes again and smiled.

Kaoru tucked the blanket tighter around Kenshin. She couldn't believe the other nurses had let him go the first cold night of the year without even a blanket. When she had entered after a long conversation with her husband that morning and seen him shivering in his sleep, she had been infuriated. She had laid the blanket on top of him and was about to yell at the inconsiderate women she worked with when she saw him smile. Her angry words had died on her lips. He looked so peaceful in the bed. It was as if nothing in the world was bothering him. Kaoru sat in the chair next to him with the pink material in her lap. She desperately wanted to rouse him to share her wonderful news, but she had never seen him sleep so deeply and could not bear to end it. 

"Please wake up soon, Kenshin." He didn't even stir at her soft voice. She sat back and clutched a small piece of metal. Soon she could share her joy with him. At that moment though, she had to be content with watching the steady rise and fall of his chest.

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A/N: If you are wondering why I decided to use cold here, it's because it is freaking 45 degrees here. I'm used to like 80 so this is a big change. I will write more as soon as I can. Please review!


	8. Rude Awakening

I was in the ER last night because I am always sick, and I banged half of this chapter out. I just finished it so, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I may not own Kenshin, but I do call his name out in my sleep.

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Kaoru was so focused on her sleeping patient that she didn't notice her husband's approach until he was already next to the bed. Kaoru stood and bowed her head in a well-practiced gesture of submission.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I did not see you to greet you sooner." Saitou stared down at the red head grinning in his slumber.

"Were you too busy admiring this murderous dog to notice your husband?" Kaoru kept her head down. Her bangs had fallen forward and hid her face. She was glad for that. Her husband was a well-seasoned veteran and would have noticed the look of guilt that flashed momentarily across it had that curtain of hair not been there. Truth be told, she had been admiring him. She had never seen a man like him before. It wasn't just his striking red hair that was much softer than she had at first supposed. She ran her fingers through it a lot, fixing imaginary tangles, unbinding and rebinding it just so she could watch it break free of its bond and spill over his shoulders and down his back. It wasn't just his remarkable eyes that shifted between peaceful violet and frightening amber, both of which were uniquely Kenshin inasmuch as she had never seen eyes like his before. Brown, blue, green, hazel, gray, even black, yes. But not amber or violet, those were only him. It wasn't even just his small body, the thinness of his arms, how he was only an inch or two taller than her at most, the way she could trace the bones of his hips, his collarbones, his ribs, and his vertebrae but still see the well formed muscle that covered his body and tensed when she treated his wounds. Many times since he'd arrived she'd wondered how someone so dainty in appearance could be so deadly. She'd treated many men but none that had killed so many or were so small as he. It wasn't just one thing about him. It was everything. The scars that littered his body, his long eyelashes, the fear he inspired in others, his own fears, the way he called her Miss Kaoru, how soft his voice became when he would speak of his past, the way he'd shake his head to get the bangs out of his face and the way he'd smile when she did it for him, everything about him fascinated her. She couldn't help being enamored with him. He was new and different. Kaoru tried to shake these thoughts from her mind. 

"I'm very sorry, Captain." He looked back down at the sleeping soldier. His eyes narrowed at him. Before Kaoru could even comprehend what was happening, he'd thrown the blanket off of him and grabbed the young man by the throat. Kaoru gasped as Kenshin's eyes flew open to greet her very angry husband. Saitou grinned at the flustered man. 

"Good morning, Battousai." Kenshin started to choke as the Saitou's hand crushed tighter around his neck. Saitou threw him down on the bed and smiled as Kenshin turned as much as he could on his side and started coughing. He looked up sadly at Kaoru who just stood there. When Megumi had been treating him so poorly, she had rushed to his aid, but now her husband was close to killing him, and she did nothing. She looked down at him from underneath her bangs with apologetic eyes. Kenshin looked back to the captain. He was laughing. 

"Battousai, my wife obviously hasn't told you yet because she didn't want to wake you. I have no such care for trash like you. While she is around, I will allow you to be unshackled so that you may practice in order to be worth something to me. She has assured me you won't run. If you do, I have no choice but to show her how I feel about liars. Then, I will hunt you down and kill you. It will not be a quick merciful death, I assure you. There is a wooden sword outside for you to practice with eventually." Saitou then turned without acknowledging Kaoru. He was almost to the door when he turned to face them again.

"One more thing, Battousai. If you lay so much as one finger on my wife, I will dispatch you like the dog you are. Don't think that I did not notice your ambiguous answer, wife. You did not deny your admiration of him. If you value your life and the freedom that I grant you, you will not continue with your girlish crush. The beating I gave you last month was nothing in comparison to what I will do if you let this continue." Kenshin looked at Kaoru as Saitou was saying these words. He watched her shudder in fear and not lift her face. Saitou smiled and walked out the door. Kenshin decided that moment that he hated that man more than anything else in the world. More than the guard, more than his father, more than everything. He didn't know why he felt so protective of Kaoru. Perhaps it was because she treated him well or that she smelled like his mother. Either way he didn't care. He would not allow that man to hurt her, ever. Kaoru sat on the bed next to him. She tentatively reached out a hand and grabbed his. She pushed the small metal key she had been clutching and turned it with a satisfying click. Kenshin was speechless as the irons fell to the floor with a clang. He rubbed his wrists and looked from them to Kaoru and then back again. Kaoru held out a white hakama and Kenshin happily stood up to put it on. He stretched his arms above him, behind him, to each side, grateful for the release in the pressure of being stuck in the same position for so long. Kaoru smiled at him and held out the piece of pink material that he had been watching her sew for two weeks. Kenshin unfolded it and stared in awe.

"It's a gi. I made it for you so you wouldn't be cold. You couldn't put it on before." Kenshin happily pushed his arms through the sleeves and tied the hakama over it. It was a perfect fit. He looked up at Kaoru and she answered his unasked question.

"I made the pattern from your old gi. I thought pink was a very nonviolent color." Kenshin laughed out loud at her.

"I agree, Miss Kaoru. Thank you so very much." He sat down in the chair that she had sat in beside him for so long. Kaoru smiled at him.

"You're welcome. Well Kenshin, how does it feel to be free?" She regretted the words as soon as she saw his smiling face turn somber. Her heart broke as he looked up at her and spoke with great sincerity.

"Miss Kaoru, although it is nice not to have my hands bound, I never have and never will know the joy of freedom."

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A/N: Awwww. Please review and I'll keep writing. I'm thinking about putting Aoshi in this story. What do you think?


	9. Sacrifice

There is a line in this chapter that says "violent amber." This isn't a typo. Well, you asked for him so here he is.

Disclaimer: I have nothing.

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Weeks had passed and every day Kenshin regained more and more movement of his arms and legs. It was Kaoru's constant presence and quiet demands for him to push himself harder that kept him going. She sat with him on his bed doing the arm exercises she had given him. Her hands were gripped loosely around his wrists. They were clammy and cold from just being released from their nightly position in the irons. She pulled lightly, and he stretched his arm out. She pushed and he bent it to his shoulder. Out and back. Out and back. Over and over again, they repeated the movement. It was to build his strength, to make him the great slayer of men he once was. But Kaoru tried not to think about that. To her, he was only her Kenshin, an injured man with whom she shared quiet moments and quick embarrassed glances. She gently pulled his arm.

"Kenshin, it seems that you are getting much stronger." He smiled at her from underneath his mass of red hair. She could barely see his eyes, but she didn't need to. Lately they had always looked the same, deep violet with bits of amber in a star shaped pattern. It represented his newfound happiness and his old pain. Like the scars on his body, they were a testament to the trials of his life. 

"That's only because of you, Miss Kaoru." Kaoru grinned at his answer. She pushed on his wrist. Back and out. Back and out. Then, suddenly, Kenshin looked up. For a moment Kaoru saw only focus on his face, in his violent amber eyes. His arm ripped from her light grasp and grabbed the irons from the side of the bed. Before Kaoru could even register his movements, there was a loud clang of metal against metal, and a short sword clattered to the floor in front of them. She gawked at Kenshin who had at some point moved in front of her. All the exercises she had done with him, all the time she had spent nursing him slowly, it all meant nothing. He moved faster than anyone she had ever seen. He never needed her at all. She was so engrossed with this realization that she did not think about the sword until a voice rang out across the hospital.

"That was a good block, Battousai. I will not miss again." Kenshin dropped the irons onto the ground. He stared at the man who had just entered his world and shattered the tiny bit of peace he had finally gained. He was taller than Kenshin by at least a head. He had black hair that hung in his face and shining blue eyes that burned with hate. If it wasn't for that hatred, he would have been very beautiful standing there in his white coat with its oversized collar that made him seem even larger than he was, clutching his drawn short sword. Kenshin glared at him though. His presence did not intimidate him or inspire awe. No, Kenshin was very angry.

"You could have hit Miss Kaoru." The man turned his attention to the cowering woman behind him. She looked at him for a moment from beside Kenshin's arm, then straightened up. She took a step in front of Kenshin and held her arms out, blocking any shots at him. Kenshin stood, dumbfounded.

"Why have you disrupted my hospital this way?" The man lowered his sword for a moment and performed a quick bow.

"My sincerest apologies, Kaoru did that piece of shit say it was? I am Aoshi Shinomori. I have come to kill the Battousai. Please step out of the way or I will have to go through you to get to him." Kaoru did not budge. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What makes you think that I will allow you to kill a patient that I have been doing my best to heal?" Kaoru felt Kenshin's hand on her shoulder. She looked back, and he gentle pushed her aside to step in front of her.

"Leave her out of this, Aoshi. It's me you want. What did I do? Destroy your honor? Evade your capture?"

"You killed my friends." Kenshin put his head down for a moment.

"That was my next guess." Aoshi gripped the sword tighter.

"Don't make light of this! You killed the most important men in the world to me, to my wife. I never want to see her so sad again. She visits their graves everyday. She waters the grasses that grow there with her tears. Now she has to raise not only her own children, but some of theirs as well because their wives died of grief. You destroyed everything that was important to them, and they just wasted away. You are the reason this happened. You! And I will kill you for your sins. For them, for my wife, for all of Edo. Arm yourself, Battousai." Aoshi threw a sword to the ground by Kenshin's feet. He didn't even look at it. Kaoru watched in disbelief as he took a few steps forward and dropped to his knees. 

"Aoshi, I am sorry. I am only a slave following the orders that are given to me by my masters. I never realized the pain I was causing until I met Miss Kaoru. She made me see. I have vowed to myself to never kill again, even if they beat me to death. Aoshi, I gladly give you my life if you will stop the killing too. Your wife needs you. It seems she has no one else. Protect her by staying close to her, by not creating more widows and orphans with your own hands. Please, Aoshi, I beg of you, after you take my life, lay down your swords." Kenshin lowered his head and pulled his hair to the side to reveal his soft white neck, the same skin that Kaoru had cleaned countless times was now being offered as a sacrifice. Aoshi raised the sword above his head and Kaoru closed her eyes. She was very strong willed and almost nothing fazed her. She faced the whole world and all of its pain and injustices head on. But the death of Kenshin, her Kenshin, was not something she could watch. She heard him call to her as she held her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry I have to waste all your work, Miss Kaoru. Thank you for everything."

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A/N: Ooooo, cliffhanger. Sorry I had to stop this chapter there. If any one has Limewire or Kazaa, download the Kenshin AMV called Particle Man. It's the best and funniest one I've ever seen. Please review!


	10. Necessary

I spent almost all day writing this. Okay I spent Fundamentals of Physical Science and Satistics writing this, but close enough right? 

Disclaimer: I can dream of owning Kenshin, but that's about all.

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Kaoru had sunk to the floor, hands over her face. She shook with tears as she waited for the sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh and bone. How could he do this? How could he just throw his life away? And for what? To appease a man who had violated her little world by bringing weapons into the hospital, someone that threatened both his and her life? That just wasn't a good enough reason. Didn't he understand how strongly she felt about him? How utterly necessary he was? Kaoru stopped for a moment. Of course he didn't. Hoe could he? It wasn't until right then, at that very moment when his life was about to be taken that she even truly realized her feelings. How could he recognize something in her that she didn't even know was there? Kenshin was important to her. More important than anything else had ever been. She couldn't just sit there covering her eyes, hiding from reality. She had to do something. She had to stop Aoshi from killing Kenshin. She bolted upright, determined. She would save him. She would jump in front of the raised sword. She would die if she had to, but Kenshin would live. But she didn't move. There was nothing to jump in front of. The sword was no longer above Aoshi's head, but resting lightly on Kenshin's neck. He pressed a little and watched as a tiny droplet of blood was drawn. Kaoru was in awe as she watched Aoshi stare at the blood as it trickled down his neck and splashed onto the floor, leaving behind a red path to show where it had been. 

"Battousai, you have not flinched. Don't you fear the death that I bring you?" Kenshin did not lift his head from the ground.

"I offered you my life with the hope that you would not need to kill again. I will not back down on my word." Aoshi raised his sword again, and Kaoru gasped. The weapon returned to its sheath with a clink. Kenshin stated in his position. Aoshi was breathing hard as he watched the blood dry in his white neck. His anger was there. All he had to do was bring his blade down in the exact line that the blood had drawn for him. Vengeance would be had for his friends, for his wife who told him she didn't need more death to make up for their loss. So why couldn't he kill him? Why was this red haired man who was so willingly offering himself so hard to destroy. 

"Stand, Battousai. I will not kill you." Kenshin looked up, and Kaoru rushed to his side to help him up. He softly pushed her away.

"Miss Kaoru, I don't want you to get hurt." Her face was twisted with worry.

"But, Kenshin I…"

"Miss Kaoru!" His voice was demanding and pleading.

"Kenshin? Is that your real name, Battousai?" They both looked at Aoshi, who had a very odd look on his face, one that they couldn't quite place. This was surprising because from the moment he entered, he was stoic. The only hint that he even possessed emotion was the hatred that had burned in his eyes. But even that was gone.

"Yes it is, Aoshi. I almost forgot it a long time ago, but Miss Kaoru helped me to remember." She was clinging to the gi made him despite his plea for her to move away. She was desperate to be close to him, to convince herself that he was alive. There was unabashed thankfulness and relief on her face. For a moment, Aoshi thought she looked like his wife did every time he returned home from war. She would bound over to him from her place with their children, her long black braid flowing behind her with that same look. It was as if the sword as if the sword had been taken from her own throat, and it was her life that was spared. 

"Kenshin, then. I will no kill you. Not today. Not ever. It makes no sense to destroy the tool of greater evil. That's like breaking a sword. No matter how many are destroyed, they will always forge more and more terrible ones. I will not waste your life. So, I will spare you. And Kaoru, Mrs. Saitou, I know your husband, and though I loathe him, you might not want to cling to Kenshin that way. I wouldn't want you to get hurt. You remind me of my wife." Kaoru looked at him but did not release her hold on Kenshin. He had almost been stolen away from her, and she would not willingly let him go. Aoshi turned and walked toward the door. He called out over his shoulder.

"I will be back soon with my wife. I want her to meet you, and I have something to give you." And with that, he was gone. All the other patients and nurses and guards stared after him, gawking, but Kenshin returned to his bed, followed by Kaoru. He sat down and held his hand out to her. She took it and could feel the sweat on his palm. He had been scared, petrified even. She thought for a moment about how Aoshi never apologized for his actions and how Kenshin never thanked him for sparing his life. It was like they didn't need to. It wasn't expected, or, more so, it wasn't necessary. Then, Kaoru saw something that made her forget about that. She forgot about the quickness with which he moved to block the sword. She forgot about the fact that injured arm and all, he could have easily killed Aoshi with the sword that lay untouched on the ground. She forgot that he really didn't need her help anymore, and focused on one thing, his eyes. His beautiful, violet eyes. There was not a speck of amber left in them, not a trace of the man Kyoto had turned him into. There was only Kenshin in those eyes. She loosely gripped his wrist and pulled. Kenshin smiled at her, and she smiled back. Out and back. Out and back.

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A/N: Please review!!


	11. His Scars

Thanks for all the reviews! Keep them coming. Okay this chapter is kind of surreal. I hope you like what I was going for here.

Disclaimer: They are still not mine.

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Kaoru sighed inwardly as she felt the large arm of her husband move from around her as he slept. She was grateful when she heard the rustling of the sheets and the creaking of the floor beneath their mat that told of him rolling over to face away from her. She hated being in bed with him. Ever since earlier that week, she had felt awful sleeping by his side, like a sinner. Ever since the incident with Aoshi Shinomori. Ever since she admitted to herself that she loved Kenshin, that she had loved him from almost the day they met. Lying in her husband's arms, feeling her husband's hands against her skin made her feel adulterous somehow. As if she was betraying Kenshin, who never spoke of his feelings for her, with her own husband who, for all intensive purposes, owned her. She closed her eyes. She was so tired. Sleep had not been coming easily for her lately. If she could just get her mind off of him for even a moment, then maybe she could get some rest. But, then again, if she had to stop thinking about him, was rest really worth it? She felt her husband shift again so they were facing the same direction. Her face was to the wall. His was to her back. In the past, it would have been romantic, but now, it felt wrong for his breath to be tickling the fine hairs on the back of her neck. She moved a bit to escape it, which must have awoken him, for he pulled her back to him and began nuzzling her neck. But something wasn't quite right. They weren't the demanding touches she was used to. No, he was being gentle. He sprinkled kisses on her neck and shoulder. He rubbed his face against her like a kitten in desperate need of attention. It was surprising, and it felt wonderful. He moved to kiss her cheek, and something tickled her nose. She dismissed it as his overly long bangs until she felt it again. She grabbed it, and opened her eyes. There, in her hand, shining more beautifully than ever in the soft moonlight, was a lock of red cherry scented hair. She turned quickly to look at him.

"Kenshin?" Her voice was barely a whisper. His long, slender fingers began to dance across her pale soft skin. He swooped down and kissed her neck. It was an amazing feeling to have his warm tongue against her skin, but something was nagging at her. Something about Kenshin was wrong. Something was missing. She reached for his face and tilted his chin toward her. His bright violet eyes and unblemished face stared back at her, smiling. Kaoru began to panic. She practically tore the gi she had spent so much time making off. She heard the thread tear apart at the seams, but she didn't care. She ran her hands down the vast, smooth, hard expanse of his chest, and he shuddered in blissful approval. He felt just like she remembered. Except one important thing was missing. There were no scabs from the arrow wounds that had brought him to her, and she had tended so carefully. There were no ridges from the countless swords that had grazed him in failed attempts to save their masters' lives. She spread her fingers out and dragged them down the soft skin of his back. There were no frightening lines from the whips that forced him to be everything he hated. There were no scars, no burns, no slowly healing wounds. There was only the smooth white skin of a perfect man. She looked up at his flawless left cheek and started to cry. This was not her Kenshin. This was not the slave who had spent his life suffering and killing. This was not the man from whose hair she had washed away the blood that kept him from rest. The hands of the man that were sliding along her spine were not the hands of the ma she loved. They were the hands of the man he could have been. Had fate not sent him on his unfortunate path, this would be him. She reached a hesitant hand up to his face. He kissed her fingers. His lips were warm and wet. She placed her finger gently on his left cheek, near his eye, where his scar should start. Then she recoiled as if she had been burnt. She watched in horror as the scar began to reappear, not as a long healed injury, but as a fresh wound. Then, all of the scars she knew from hours of silently memorizing and worshipping his small frame opened, one by one. He was a terrifying bloody mess. His face was contorted in pain. Suddenly, he was pulled away from her. She tried to grab his hand, but it slipped through her fingers because it was so slick with blood. She stared in desperation as she realized what was happening. Her husband held an almost limp Kenshin against him. He jerked the soldier's chin up and held a dagger underneath his right ear. He dragged it slowly down and around throat to his other ear. Kaoru cried out, not because of his pain but because those peaceful violet eyes were brimming with an emotion she didn't want him to have ever again. Acceptance. 

Kaoru's eyes flew open. She was breathing hard and sweating. She held her hands in front of her face. They were clean of blood. She sat up quickly and looked down next to her. Her husband was lying with his back to her and breathing peacefully kin the dark. She stared at him for a moment. He was the same as he always was, no blood on his hands, no twisted vengeful smile on his face. But she couldn't shake that picture of him from he mind, holding Kenshin's head, dagger at his throat. Kaoru slipped out of bed and rushed to where her kimono was hanging. She hurriedly put it on and ran. She ran past the lake, past the small grove of trees that she had taken Kenshin to earlier that day to practice, into the hospital. She ran until she was at his side. Until she could see his face. He lie there under his blanket, chained arms on top. His gi was in tact and covering most of him from her sight. But she could see his face. He looked like he was in pain. She reached out and touched his cross-shaped scar. She had to be sure that he was real. That her Kenshin was unhurt. His eyes flew open, and he cried out. She withdrew her hand quickly and held it to her chest.

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A/N: Well, please review. I think I'm going to open the next chapter with the dream Kenshin was having when Kaoru woke him up. Then, I'm going for some boss fluff. I think it's kind of neat when you all guess what's going to happen in the future of the story. Just so you know, most of you are wrong. Someone, though, keeps exposing my secrets. Review, my pretties! Review!


	12. Tears

Here we go!!!

Disclaimer: Um, I have nothing.

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Kenshin lay naked on the floor of his tent, shaking. His young body ached. Every day it was the same. Kill all day. Serve women all night. His captain loved him. He had earned more money for him in three weeks than the government paid him for risking his life in the army all year. It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong. He was just using a slave. That's what slaves were for. He soon found that if he didn't let the much desired fourteen-year-old red head sleep, then he could send in at least five more women a night. They were only looking for their own fulfillment, not his. And though he was right, Kenshin was suffering. His body had reached its limits. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. All he wanted to do was close his eyes, but the woman in his tent prevented it. She was trying to get him ready to please her. She ran her course hard working hands over the open cuts he had obtained from the battles he was in where fatigue had dulled his senses. She touched an overly abused part of him that was rubbed nearly raw. She had hoped to excite him, but instead sent pain shooting through him. He couldn't protest though. His mouth wouldn't obey his orders. Neither would the rest of his body. It was so heavy from lack of rest that his limbs may as well have been made of lead.

"I said kiss me, you lazy slave! I paid good money for you!" Kenshin looked at her. She was really undistinguished. Her long black hair was dirty and her hands were callused. She was missing more than a few teeth. She had to have been thirty or forty years his senior. Apparently, she worked very hard for the money she paid the captain to spend an hour using him. Her body definitely showed it. All at once, he felt disgusted. Had he been able to turn his head, he would have gagged for the smell and the sight of her. For the feeling of her fingers violating his small young body. She looked him straight in the face. Most of the other women had mistaken his heavy bedroom eyes as lust and ignored the bags under them. This woman saw them though. She recognized his exhaustion, and she didn't care. She wanted him to perform. He put all of his will into lifting his head, into giving the disgusting woman what she wanted. After he all the way to her face, though, he did not even touch her chapped lips. He just fell backwards and slammed his head into the ground. The woman with her unremarkable black hair and angry brown eyes punched him in the face. When he did not cry out or even move at all, she stormed out of the tent leaving him with his right cheek on the ground and his face toward the wall. He closed his eyes. He just wanted to rest for a moment. He knew what was coming. His face was still sore from two nights previous. The wound had really just barely begun to scab. The guard would storm in after having to relinquish the woman's money and hold a mirror to Kenshin's face. He would make him watch as he reopened the brand to remind him of his place. He knew the pain all too well. But it was worth it if he could just sleep for a little while. He heard the footfalls of someone running toward him. He braced himself. He hated watching his flesh be opened, but if he didn't struggle, it would be over sooner. It seemed his whole life revolved around learning when and when not to struggle. He felt a pressure at the top of his scar. He tried not to, but he couldn't help it. A cry escaped his lips, and his eyes flew open. Kaoru stood before him clutching her offending hand to her breast.

"Miss Kaoru?" He gazed at her and then out the small window on the back wall of the hospital. It was very dark out. Dawn wouldn't come for a few hours yet. He looked back at her.

"I had to see something, Kenshin." He watched as she moved slowly toward him. She placed her hands on him and separated his gi. He winced at the cold, but said nothing. Her hands danced across his chest, fingering all his scars and scabs. The ones caused by the arrows. The ones from falling during training as a child. They even slid across the same scar as that awful woman's dirty fingers did. As many other awful women did. She closed his gi and moved her ministrations to his neck. She traced a line from one ear to the next. He watched her lips quiver as she did so. No blood, no cut, not even a faint scar. His breath caught as she suddenly dropped her head onto him. She gripped the opening in his material and nestled her face against his white neck. He could feel the warm wetness of her tears dripping on his skin. She shook against him. He desperately wanted to comfort her. He wanted to hold her, to stroke her hair, to kiss her face. But even if he felt himself worthy enough to treat her that way, he couldn't. His hands were bound and resting against the silk of her kimono, under her breasts. Her breath was hot against his collarbone. She kept whimpering his name over and over.

"Kenshin. Kenshin. Oh, I was so scared. My Kenshin." He stared down at the top of her head. Her hair was a bit mussed and not up in its usual high ponytail. He thought it was beautiful anyway, spread out about him like a black blanket of silk. She didn't notice that his breathing sped up. She had claimed him without realizing it. Her Kenshin. It made his heart race. He didn't understand why she was crying on him. He didn't know what had scared her, or why she suddenly felt it was okay to touch him so blatantly without the excuse of changing his bandages or cleaning his wounds. But he didn't care. He pushed his chin down and inhaled the scent of her hair. The cherry-blossom aroma was so much stronger and more lovely coming from her than the remnants from him. It made him heady. He nuzzled into her hair and lightly kissed the top of her head. He couldn't help it. He just wanted to help her. He didn't want to feel her tears. 

"Miss Kaoru, it's all right. Please, Miss Kaoru." He stretched his fingers against her stomach. She looked up at him red-faced and wet-cheeked. His violet eyes were pleading.

"Please, Miss Kaoru." She sat up and wiped her face on her sleeve. She pulled the key to his irons from the chain around her neck. She leaned forward and fumbled for the lock in the dimly lit room. In an instant his arms were around her, holding her tightly to his chest. He buried his face in her hair.

"I had the most horrible dream, Kenshin."

"I know, Miss Kaoru."

"I thought I'd lost you."

"I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere." He gently tilted her chin toward him and dried the remainders of her tears with the sleeve of his gi. He ran his fingers lightly over her cheeks. She stared up at him.

"I would never leave you, Miss Kaoru. Never." In that moment, nothing else mattered. It was only her and Kenshin. She leaned forward and caught his lips with her own. They were softer than her husband's and more inviting. His tongue slipped into her mouth when she opened it to let him in. She loved the taste of him. It was so unique, just like the rest of him. Unique and wonderful. She got lost there that night in his arms. She noticed nothing else but him. Not the howling of the cold wind. Not the steady snoring of the other patients. Not even the guard that stood by the door staring at them with his mouth hanging open.

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A/N: Uh-oh! Okay, this is the English teacher coming out in me. Keep an eye on Kaoru's continued frustration with Kenshin's "acceptance" as opposed to her own life. Okay, please review!


	13. All Was Gray

Okay everyone, here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Is this part ever interesting? I don't own them.

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Kaoru nearly floated home. The cold didn't seem to bother her at all. She could still feel the warmth of Kenshin's mouth. She had kissed him and kissed him. She was all at once addicted to his flavor. Just like everything else about him, it was a taste that could only be described by using his name. She likened it to a rare fruit that one doesn't realize they want until they have had it. Except Kaoru had realized. The young wife had wanted to partake in him for a very long time. In fact, but for her loyalties to her husband, she would have taken those sweet full lips the day she washed the blood off of his body and dressed his wounds. He was so marvelous. She giggled in the semi-darkness. The wind blew her loose hair across her face. She tried to push it out of her way, but the wind was persistent. It was also a bit colder than before. Her hair was becoming bothersome, blocking her sight. She stumbled toward her home. When she reached the relative safety of her porch, she turned around. The sun had started to rise behind the clouds sending a gray light over the landscape. It seemed to have robbed everything of its color. Dark gray trees stood with a few gray leaves that refused to fall. A light gray shore met a gray lake that was beating it with white tipped waves. The world was lifeless and without brilliance. There were no crickets mourning the ending of the night. There were no birds announcing the joyous return of the dawn. There was only quiet and gray. Suddenly, the chill in the air became very apparent to Kaoru. It made her nervous, and she wrapped her arms around herself to try and keep it out. She didn't like the view as it was, and she found herself wishing for some color. But there was no blue, no green, only the flat vapid gray. Then her thoughts turned to Kenshin. Nothing could take the brightness from his red hair or the soft radiance from his violet eyes. Even in the dreariest of scenes, he would stand like a beacon. Kaoru turned and slid open the door, happy in that small reassurance. She walked in with her head held high and a smile on her face, then slid the door shut. The sound of it wouldn't normally have been loud, but it shattered the silence. As if the sky was showing its disapproval, snow began to fall.

Kenshin had not even closed his eyes except to revel in the memory of Kaoru's lips since she left. They knew that she had to go home to her husband, or he would be very angry with her. So, Kenshin just sat and waited. But the sun had risen and breakfast had been brought to the other patients, and there was no Kaoru. The door at the end of the room opened, and Kenshin turned to greet the arrival expectantly. It was only a nurse though. Kenshin sighed. He had no idea where she could be. She had never been this late in the mornings before. His mind began to wander to things that may have happened. Did she make it home all right? Was there some unseen danger that detained her? Kenshin was startled by his neighbor's laughter. It was a low snicker, like he was in on a joke that Kenshin wasn't. He turned away and rose from the bed. He felt like water might calm his nerves, and he promptly went to get some. He sat in his bed for a few more hours, deeply upset by Kaoru's absence. The door of the hospital opened again, and again an expectant Kenshin was disappointed. It was Aoshi this time, returning as promised. He walked forward without uttering a word to anybody. He had such presence. It kept all the others in the room staring at him. Kenshin simply let out another sad sigh and awaited his approach. It was then that he noticed the girl behind him. She must have been sixteen or seventeen, although he would have placed her as younger if she did not have a child holding her hand, another in her arm, and a third still awaiting its arrival in the world. Her hair was pulled back in a black braid that hung down past her hips. She was smiling happily as she walked behind the imposing man. She wore a traditional kimono, and it fit her perfectly. She seemed the exact opposite of the man whose children she had obviously bore. The laughing youngsters had his eyes and her smile. They reached his bed and Kenshin bowed his head for a moment as a gesture of respect.

"Kenshin, I have come as I said I would." 

"I never expected otherwise, Aoshi." The girl came from behind him and smiled even more broadly.

"Let me present to you my beautiful wife, Misao. She was pleased to hear that she would be visiting you." She bowed her head to him without releasing either child.

"I am happy to meet you, Kenshin."

"As am I, Miss Misao." She laughed at him. 

"What is it?"

"I have never seen a man like you before. I think I like it. Give him the gift, Aoshi." Aoshi looked at her reproachfully as he pulled something from within his coat. Misao presented him with each of their children.

"This is Hiko, and this is Sakura. We haven't picked a name for the new one yet. Perhaps Tokei, I'm not sure." Kenshin did not really hear what she was saying, nor did he care about the chubby little hands that grabbed at his hakama. He was only seeing that Aoshi was right. Misao did remind him very much of Kaoru, and it made his heart ache.

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A/N: Okay my friends, I have a challenge for you. Please critically analyze this story. I want to know if my symbolism is apparent and if my themes are developing enough for them to be readily accessible. Please review and ask me questions. It helps my writing.


	14. The Gift

Bando-Eido no Megami-sama- Thank you so much!!

^_^ - I just picked the name Hiko because I couldn't think of any other make Japanese names.

INSOMNI-MANIAC- I wish I still lived at home sometimes maybe not too! I love you by the way. Thanks for being my most loyal reviewer!

BelleDayNight- Misao is 16 years old. She married Aoshi at 12 like Kaoru. A baby at 13, a baby at 15 and a baby on the way. This is the norm for the men and women in this city in this time period.

Nigihayami Haruko- That was beautiful. That's very much what I was going for.

Ms. Zeal- Kenshin is still chained. His ability to get up to get the water was supposed to show his marked improvement from earlier chapters when he couldn't.

Thank you so much for the questions! YAY! I love answering them. It gets my juices flowing. All right, for the last chapter symbolism wise, Nigihayami Haruko was almost right on. Please also note the way the weather is getting colder and colder. And Kaoru's "freedom" or "recklessness" was supposed to be represented by the way her hair was loose. Note how it was her hair that "blinded" her on her way home. Sorry, I just love putting in little things like this. Enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I had a dream I owned Kenshin once. It was very naughty. One should take care not to call out a cartoon character's name in one's sleep, especially if one sleeps with one's boyfriend every night. Good thing Kenshin kind of rhymes with Justin.

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Kenshin stared unhappily at the gift Aoshi was holding out for him. It was a sword that had been completely concealed under Aoshi's large jacket. He was gripping it in the middle of the sheath at the end of a strait arm. He held it right in front of Kenshin's face. The red head's heart sped up as he examined the weapon without touching it. It was very new. The black leather of the scabbard still smelled of the tanner. But it was blank, devoid of designs. Every other sword he had ever owned rested in a place covered in pictures. Men meeting their deaths. Eyes that saw all. Angry gods with fiery swords. Images of the devastation the sword would be used for. But this sword slept a blank sheath. The only thing that decorated it was a string of white beads close to the hilt. They hung down and clattered together. Their whiteness emphasized in the sunlight from the window. The hilt itself was made of brass and there was a white bandage wrapped around it to protect the bearer's hand from the cold metal and ensure a better grip. Kenshin looked up from it to Aoshi's stoic face.

"Aoshi, I can't take this." Aoshi did not move the sword from its position at Kenshin's eye level.

"Yes, you can. And you will." Kenshin looked down at his chained hands.

"I can't." Aoshi wrapped his free hand around the white bandaged hilt and made the beads clack together. Kenshin watched as he slowly pulled the sword free. Its blade gleamed in the sunlight sending tiny particles of light dancing on the walls and the ceiling like little rejoicing rainbows. Aoshi held it in a traditional fighting position with the tip pointing heavenward. But it was no traditional fighting weapon. Kenshin's breath caught at the shear beauty of it. He examined each and every inch of the sword from his position on the bed.

"Aoshi." His voice was soft. He really didn't know what to say.

"I commissioned this to be forged especially for you. The smith thought that I was crazy when I demanded that it be reverse-bladed. Now you can fight without killing. I would be very offended if you didn't accept my gift." Kenshin did not respond. He just continued to stare. Never before had he seen a sword whose killing edge was on the opposite side. Every man struck with this sword would fall, but they would all rise again. His mind raced back to unhappy and unwanted memories. All of the men he had struck would never rise again. His swords had killed in so many ways. Through the stomach. Through the heart. Through the neck. Through the head. How much blood had been shed by his hands? How many lives had he taken to save his own? He looked upward at the shimmering lights from the sword.

"I know what plagues your thoughts, Kenshin. That's the reason I had this created. You don't have to kill again." Kenshin felt his eyes well up with tears. They did not fall though, only glistened in a way that reminded Misao of violets kissed by morning dew. His voice was choked as he spoke. 

"Aoshi." He couldn't think of anything else to say. Aoshi quickly slid the sword back into its sheath. It came to rest with a click and a small clatter of the beads. He held it out again with a steady hand. 

"I am laying my sword down. I know that you can't without sacrificing your life. Don't create anymore widows or orphans. Take the sword." Kenshin reached his shaky hands up and took it. The white beads clanged against his chains. He sighed at the familiar weight in his hands. 

"Thank you." He was very quiet. He watched as Misao handed her tiny daughter and young son to her husband. He held them awkwardly. He seemed much better at holding the sword, but there was love in his eyes. The small children in his arms were the reason he would never draw a sword again. Them and his sweet young wife. She walked forward and gripped Kenshin's hands. With his help, she lifted the heavy metal irons to bring his hands to her swollen belly. He could feel the life inside her shifting uncomfortably under her soft kimono. Suddenly he was transfixed. He had never been in more awe than he was at Aoshi's young wife at that very moment. All the women he had known with the exception of his mother and Kaoru were cruel and angry. But Misao was not. She was happy and wonderful. She was like a wonderful goddess bringing life to the world. She stared down into his fascinated eyes.

"Thank you, Kenshin. I thank you for saving my husband's life." The slender fingers that had not removed themselves from their place on his hands squeezed lightly, and her unborn baby kicked his palm. His mouth parted a bit and the unshed tears still in his eyes threatened to fall. 

"We thank you." She released his hands, and they slid into his lap. He instinctively clutched at the sword. Misao reclaimed her children to her protective arms. Both she and her husband turned and walked away. They said nothing and neither did he. There was no need for anything else.

A few hours after Aoshi and Misao left, Kenshin turned and looked out the window. The snow that had begun in the early morning was still falling and changing colors in the setting sun. His stomach was knotted. Kaoru still had not come to him. The door slid open again, and Megumi waltzed in with her head held high. She seemed amused at something. 

"How are you today, Battousai?" Kenshin did not respond to her cheerful question. He just looked away toward the window.

"Lonely?" He gripped the sword in his grasp tighter. The beads clicked together.

"Where is Miss Kaoru?" His voice was even and threatening. Had it come from almost anyone else, she would have been frightened, but the brand on his face and the irons on his hands made her feel safe even in the presence of a man who had killed so many. Megumi smiled evilly at him. He had seen that smile before. Many women had looked at him like that. Many smiles spun through his head that he did not want to remember.

"She's not coming anymore, Battousai. Isn't that upsetting? Apparently she broke one of her husband's rules." Kenshin's eyes narrowed at her. She slapped his face.

"Get up, slave. Follow me." She nearly spat the words at him. Kenshin did as he was told. He was right behind her as she walked out the door into the dusk. The reverse-bladed sword lay on his bed without him, and his hands cried at the loss of its comforting presence. 

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A/N: All right everyone, I have successfully outlined the rest of the story. There should be somewhere between 23 and 25 chapters depending upon whether I condense chapters from my outline or not. Chapter 18 might be a lemon unless it contains vital things like symbols and such. If it is, it will not be necessary to understand what's going on and will be posted separately on Mediaminer under the title "Prisoner of War – Lemon Chapter." Please review!


	15. Defiance

Ms. Zeal – Well, he just got the sword and nobody of real importance has seen it yet. The guards, obviously being of lower standing because they are guarding a military hospital instead of fighting in the war, must also be afraid of Aoshi. Note that they didn't do anything when he tried to kill Kenshin and stared at him as he came in at the beginning of chapter 13. Me thinks that they are chickens. Also, Tomoe will not make an appearance. Although, when I was writing the dream sequence in chapter 12 (before all that old and ugly stuff came in) I was envisioning her. I thought his plight would be more poignant with a less beautiful woman though.

Okay, well on to the next chapter. Sorry to keep you waiting for so long.

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The snow crunched under Kenshin's feet as he walked. Kaoru had given him dark brown socks to cover them, but they weren't visible under the white flakes. They did little to protect him from the biting cold and froze to his skin. Kenshin followed quietly behind the doctor in front of him. She wore little black shoes and didn't seem to care about the cold. Her long loose black hair swayed as she continued her trek. Kenshin looked outward and watched unhappily as the sun died on the horizon. It was devastating to him. What little light he had left was gone. There was only darkness before him then. Black trees, black sky, black lake, and long, swaying, black hair. She stopped in a small grove of trees. It was the same grove that Kaoru took him to swing around the wooden sword. It reminded him of his childhood, of days when he smiled often for very good reasons. Of times when the screams of the dying had not yet met his ears. But he swung it anyway, despite the painful memories, for her. Always for her. He could envision her standing there smiling at him. His heart was heavy at the thought of never seeing her smile again. Megumi spread a blanket out under the boughs of the trees. They were sagging down with the weight of the soft white powder. The tips of some of the branches touched the ground. The wind made them write mournful love songs in the snow with long, even strokes. She looked back at the chained warrior. He drooped more than the trees. His arms hung low in front of him with black irons holding them together. His body was slumped, making his small form appear even smaller. His head was hung downward, allowing his bangs to cover his face, shielding his eyes from her sight. He was a picture of pathetic resignation. Megumi thought it odd that even in only the light of a waning moon, the bright red of his hair of his hair stood out. She found herself wanting to touch it. Had it been any other man, she would have described it as beautiful. 

"Come here." He followed her demand and walked slowly to her. The sound of his crunching footsteps along with the new howling of the wind was unnerving. She wrapped her fingers around the place where his chin and throat met. She pushed his face up to look at hers, and his bangs fell away. She stared for a moment into his narrowed violet eyes. The swirled with emotions, fear for Kaoru, despair, anger, and mostly, hate. These were not the same eyes she had seen before. There was no acceptance in them that made her feel better about what she did. That part of him was gone. Megumi's breathing sped up as she looked into those eyes. They shook her to the core. She quickly released her hold, and his head dropped back down. Again, his hair slipped into place, and again, her fingers called to her to touch it. She pointed firmly to the blanket on the ground. Kenshin thought it looked like a black void against the white snow.

"Lie down." He moved to comply, but did not lie down. Instead, with a fluidness of movement that she had not seen before, he sat cross-legged on the blanket. His back was straight, but his head stayed bent. She felt her body tingle with cold and anticipation. She lifted the hem of her kimono and jerkily stepped in his footprints to reach him. She knelt on the blanket in front of his slender body. Her hands were shaking, though she didn't understand why, as she reached for the opening of his gi. She pushed the carefully stitched and lovingly assembled material off of his shoulders. It pooled around him, the sleeves bunched about his irons. His chest and arms and stomach were all exposed to her. They were covered in well-defined, lean muscle. How she wanted to feel those muscles pressed against her skin. To have those arms and hands worshipping her. To bite that slender white neck. To run her hands through that fiery red hair. Yes, he could have been very beautiful.

"Maybe you don't remember how this works, Battousai. I know this must feel familiar. Lie down." He did not move. Megumi angrily reached out a hand and grabbed his shoulder. He jerked away. As he did so, a few strands from his ponytail trailed across her fingers. Had she taken the moment to think about it, she would have been amazed by its softness. It was like finely spun silk, softer by far than her own meticulously cared for locks. Much effort must have been put in to keep it so near perfection. But she did not have that moment. Instead, she was caught by his glare. He shot it at her from under his curtain of hair like a tiger springing from behind a bush. And she was stuck. It was such a frightening look that it held her there like a statue. Her mouth hung partway open, and her hot breath was visible in the air.

"I must find her. Tell me where she is!" Megumi was startled by the fierceness of his demand. There was a fire in him, and she felt as if it had burned her. She could not find her voice.

"Tell me!" The flustered doctor sprung up. Who was he but a slave? How dare he speak to her like that? How could he think that was all right? She glowered down at him. 

"This is her own fault! She should have followed her husband's rules. No, society's rules. If she hadn't kissed you, this would not have happened to her!" She was loud, and the trees shook with her volume. Snow fell from the heavily burdened boughs around her. The limbs began to return to their rightful position. Slowly, Kenshin stood. He did so with magnificent grace. His head was high. His eyes seared into her. Although he was a few inches shorter than she was, she suddenly felt very small.

"Don't you understand? I must find her! I will find her, and you will help me! Tell me where she is!" Megumi said nothing as she stared at him. At that moment, she thought that he deserved to be called the red headed devil, as overwhelmingly imposing as he was. She would not have been surprised if his lean arms ripped out of his irons and slit her throat. His words, however, cut her more than anything else ever could.

"My God! Haven't you ever loved someone before?" Kenshin's gaze did not waver as he watched Megumi's legs buckle from under her. She did not dare look up at him as she cried into the cold ground on her knees.

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A/N: Okay my friends, I know that I said chapter 18 would be a lemon, but now I'm not so sure. I tried to write a "practice lemon." It came out like crap. I don't think I'm cut out to write that stuff. Oh well, I guess I can keep it PG-13/R and still be okay. Oh and I would like everyone's opinion on something. I am trying to come up with an idea for my next big project. Which concept do you guys like better?

Letters From Home- This would be an Inu Yasha fic that consists entirely of Kagome's letters to Inu Yasha while he is away (read drafted) fighting in WW2 while she is in the States in a Japanese internment camp. Angst/drama/romance

Kenshin slave fic 2- There will be a better title. The Shogunate won the war. As punishment, many Imperialists are forced into slavery. One in particular (Kenshin) is treated horribly. He is abused to the point where he won't even speak (maybe) and Kaoru takes pity and buys him. Angst/drama/romance

Modern Kenshin fic 1- Again with a better title. Kaoru is a college student. One day she meets a man (Kenshin) in her English class. He is a veteran of the Gulf War (which could put him at about 28/29) and is now furthering his education. Kaoru decides that she really likes him. Romance

Modern Kenshin fic 2- Yet another promise of a better title. Same concept as the previous one except she also works at a restaurant. They get a new manager. It happens to be a red head who looks remarkably similar to Kenshin. It's Battousai, his little brother. Which man does she want more, or which man could want her. Romance/drama

Okay, please let me know what you think about this and this chapter. The two modern fics would be the most difficult to write (I don't write much modern stuff if you hadn't noticed) and the slave fic would be the most fun. Well, please review!!


	16. Memories

Tigerrelly- Thank you so much! That was such a sweet review. In response to the poem, I was envisioning Misao and Aoshi, but it could just have well been Sano and Megumi. He "hated her" because she was still alive. She could be there for her child and her husband while Kaoru could not. You must figure out what happened. That's how one is able to write a term paper on a poem. Speculation.

Bando-Eido no Magami-Sama- I do!

Insomni-maniac- Awww. You're my favorite reviewer! Lots of Dr. Pepper and Justin's homemade meatloaf for you! (It's really good. I'm glad my boyfriend can cook, and do laundry, and draw my bath… wait a sec. This sounds vaguely familiar.)

Lilemmy- It was Kenshin who said the last line of the last chapter. Although it could have been Megumi, in light of this chapter, it was definitely Kenshin.

FieryDemon09- I love it when people tell me that I made their favorite stories list. Go me!

Nigihayami Haruko- I always look forward to getting a review from you. It's nice to know that people are actually picking up on what I spent so much time inserting. Thanks!

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Never before had a foreigner so blatantly walked down the middle of their main street. But this man, he sauntered down it. The people in the market stalls glared at him, daring him to try to buy from them. The children cowered behind their parents, and the men were arguing with themselves over who should confront the tall man. The biggest and strongest of their men was chosen. He stomped carefully into the middle of the street, blocking the path. He was amazed when the man simply sidestepped and continued around him. He twirled around quickly and shouted at the retreating figure.

"Hey, foreigner! We don't want your kind here!" The man never turned. His hands stayed in his pockets. The fish bone he had been chewing on stayed in his mouth. He just called out over his shoulder.

"Good thing I'm not here to see you then." The townspeople didn't know what to say. Short of getting the Kyoto army involved, there was nothing they could do. The man emanated strength. From the opening in his white jacket one could easily see well-developed muscles shifting about as he moved. So, they returned to their business. One woman, however, did not look away. She stared right at him as he moved toward her. He was the most remarkable thing she had ever seen. He was violent, rude, strong, and had a quick temper. But that meant nothing to her. She knew what was deep inside this frightening man. He was gentle and kind, especially when he touched her. He smiled when he saw her staring at him.

"Did you miss me?" She looked up into his big brown eyes. How beautiful they were with his adoration for her swirling in them. He ran a hand through his thick messy brown hair. She longed to be that hand. To move through his wild tresses that escaped the red band he wore around his forehead. She imagined it would feel exhilarating taming something so unbridled as his hair, or his equally unrestrained spirit. She smiled up at him.

"Me? Miss a big oaf like you? Why, Sanosuke, I only thought of you once maybe twice a moment." He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her. She loved the way he smelled. It was like the earth had come forward and personally gifted this man with the most rugged and masculine scent available. He released her and stared hard into her eyes.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Will you come away with me?" Her mouth dropped open. She had never been anywhere outside of Kyoto in her entire life. She only met him accidentally when she was near the outskirts of town, and he had saved her from some would be rapists. He had refused to let her go home alone. He had walked right beside her, and then every week had come to see her. She had slowly become enamored with him. She would happily go to the ends of the earth for him, but she didn't realize she would be going so soon.

"Where will we go Sanosuke?" 

"Back to Edo." She frowned a bit and leaned into his chest. Why was this such a difficult decision?

"But I have nothing in Edo. Everything I have is here. Here I am the doctor's daughter. A Takani. What sort of status would a Kyoto girl nobody's ever heard of have?" He stroked her long black hair. 

"You wouldn't be someone that nobody knew. You would be a Sagara. You would be Sanosuke Sagara's wife. There is much respect for that position. I promise you." She gazed up at him. His wife? This was the moment she had been dreaming of for so long. She nestled back into his chest and placed open-mouthed kisses on all the skin that was near her. They left for Edo that night with her father shouting angrily behind them.

She grew to love Edo, though she loved the man who proudly called himself her husband even more. He did everything for her. He rubbed her back. He permitted her to go to the hospital to learn the techniques of a doctor. He treated her like she was the most precious thing on earth. Never like a possession, as so many other husbands in Edo were apt to do. Her life with him was perfect. Many mornings she had woken up cradled in his strong, loving embrace. He was so warm and no matter the temperature, she was comfortable there in his arms, cuddled against his chest. Every day she would be up before him and just lay there relishing in his strength and his scent. One morning had been different though. She had awoken to his wide-open eyes. He had kissed the top of her head and pulled her desperately closer. 

"Sano, what's wrong?"

"I love you so much." He voice had been ragged with worry. She had tried to break away to look into his eyes, but she couldn't. He had been pressing her to him so tightly. 

"Sano? Please tell me what's wrong!" He had just squeezed her again.

"So much." She could feel him pull in shaky breaths. Her husband was crying? She had never seen him cry before. Not once in the three years she had been by his side had he shed a tear.

"I love you too, Sanosuke." He had stayed there for a moment just holding her and crying then got up quickly. He had moved to the trunk that held their clothing and pulled out something she hadn't seen before. An Edo military uniform. Then she had realized what was happening, why he had been awake to hold her. She had understood those tears at that very moment.

"They need me." It had been indescribably painful for her as she watched her devoted husband leave her side. He had looked almost like a different man in his dark blue government issue clothing. But she could never mistake him. He had still worn the red band around his head in a vain attempt to control his hair. He had laughed many times that she was the only one that could bring it in to some semblance of order. But she usually didn't. She liked the way it looked when it was doing whatever it wanted. She had realized long before that she did not want to tame her husband at all, only be a part of his wildness. He had kissed her hard before he walked away toward the place where many other men in dark blue were headed. She had sat in her room that day and cried. Every day after that, she had waited. She had been so sure he would return to her. She had never doubted his abilities. When she had heard a small knock at the door one day, she had toppled her cooking in her haste to reach it. It had not been her husband though. It had been a nameless man in dark blue. In his hand he had held a red band. It had still smelled so much like him. Like him and his blood.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Sagara." She had fallen to her knees right in front of him. Everything was suddenly so awful. Then, his sent seemed to fade away, and was replaced by that of cherry blossoms. She looked up at the red headed slave before her. His expression was harsh, but his eyes were desperate.

"I must find her! Please, tell me where she is!" Megumi lifted a shaky finger and pointed toward the water.

"Do you see that small house there on the far end of the lake? That is where she is. That is her home." He broke into a run. His feet were crunching in the snow at such a fast pace that she could hardly distinguish one step from the next. His long hair streamed out behind him. It seemed so desperate to escape the band that held it back. Tears frozen to Megumi's face cracked as she smiled lightly. He was so very beautiful.

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A/N: Thanks for reviewing and voting on which story to go with. Here are the results so far:

Letters From Home- 1

Kenshin Slave Fic 2- 8

Modern Kenshin Fics- 1

I will write whatever you guys choose next. Also, if I do decide to write Slave fic 2, should Kenshin be able to speak in the beginning? I'm leaning toward no because well… I have a good reason damn it! Okay let me know. Please review!


	17. At Last

^_^ - Sorry. Sano is dead. That chapter was to show as Nigihayami Haruko so aptly put it, Megumi's humanity. She is not evil. She has only suffered through a horrific loss and was trying to use Kenshin to forget.

Nigihayami Haruko – I love you! That was exactly what I was going for in the last chapter. And I have decided to go with my gut for the next story. The first ten chapters are already planned.

Bando-Eido no Megami-sama – Thanks! Sometimes little side chapters mean a lot. I was thinking about that after I read "The Blue Hotel" by Stephen Crane. He has something very similar to express a much more impressive point than the one I was trying to make, namely no one is wholly good or evil, and everyone has a past that influences their actions. His was more every decision one makes affects every other person in the world. I recommend reading it at some point.

Cattiebrie393 – Thanks!

Lilemmy – No, Sano is gone. But on a better note, I plan on writing "Letters From Home." It won't be very long, probably seven or eight chapters at most, but I will write it soon. Just for you.

Disclaimer: If I owned Kenshin I would spend too much time analyzing the nuances of his personality.

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It was cold, and her face hurt badly. She flinched as her fingers grazed the fresh wounds. She could ignore the bruises on her arms and legs. Even the pain in her stomach had faded. But her face throbbed. He'd hit her there before when she didn't know her place. He'd hit her for talking back, for not doing his bidding fast enough, for breaking his rules. She knew that pain well, and she knew that it would not fade for a while. She shook lightly. The tears running down her cheeks were not helping at all. She knew that when he found out, he would hurt her. Even as she ran to the hospital in the night, she knew. But she couldn't help it. When the man she had so diligently treated had promised to never leave her, she was desperate to taste him, to claim him as her own. The feel of his lips against hers, of his tongue reaching for hers as she invaded his mouth made any punishment she could receive worth it. She realized that night how she felt. She had been desperate when she thought she'd lost him. Her heart wouldn't let her rest until she was sure of his safety. She wanted nothing more for him than his happiness. She loved him. She loved him more than she ever thought possible. She had thought for a long time that she loved her husband, but that one kiss with a prisoner, a slave, had shattered that illusion. She cared for her husband. She even liked him most of the time. But she did not and never had loved him. He provided for her. He treated her better than most wives in Edo. He even allowed her to go out while he wasn't home. But nothing Captain Saitou could ever do would make her feel for him like she felt for Kenshin. Her life was changed. Her existence was altered, all because of that realization. When she entered her home that morning, he was waiting for her. She had watched in horror as the guard from the hospital brushed by her. She had never seen her husband so angry, nor had she seen him so violent. He had hit her and hit her. He had screamed the entire time about her duties as a wife and her responsibility to follow his guidelines. He had punched her in the face and professed his love for her at the same time. Kaoru hugged her knees to her chest and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. At least he was gone. He had to go back into battle. Petty domestic squabbles meant nothing to the army. They could wait for his return. He had told her not to worry, that he would be home soon. He had said that he would crush the opposition like he would crush her if she returned to the hospital. It wasn't as much a threat as a statement of fact. Had that been all, she would have gone back. She needed to see him, to make sure that he was all right. Her body yearned to touch him, and her heart ached at the prospect of never seeing him again. It hurt worse than any injury ever could. But that hadn't been all. Her husband had made himself very clear.

"And not only will I crush you, I will crush the Battousai. I will rip open his scars. I will slit his throat. I will gut him and tear out his heart. And I will make you watch so he knows who is responsible for his death." His face had been so serious. There had been fire in his eyes when he had spit those words at her. Kaoru hugged her legs harder. She would stay away. She would do whatever it took to keep him safe, no matter how much it hurt. The sound of her front door being flung open startled her. He was supposed to be gone. She pressed her face down so she couldn't see. She couldn't take being hit any more. Wasn't keeping her from her beloved punishment enough? She listened carefully to the footsteps coming down the hall. They weren't the usual slow and steady movements of her husband. No, these were frantic. Whoever was in her house was searching for something, and that person was coming toward her room. Fear began to rise in her as she heard door after door hurled open. The person was not bothering to close them. It was an intruder. He didn't seem to know where he was going. She shook harder. The one night her husband was gone, the one night she had been happy to see him leave, someone was trying to rob her. She quietly prayed to herself. She couldn't die. She couldn't leave the world without seeing her Kenshin again. The footsteps were outside her room. Her door snapped open. She tried to disappear as she saw the silhouette of a man. She clenched her eyes closed and prepared for the worst.

"Miss Kaoru?" Her head whipped up. It was him. He had come to her. He was disheveled with his gi barely hanging onto him. His hair was everywhere, and his skin was pale from being out in the snow.

"Kenshin! How did you find me? Are you okay?" He moved toward her and fell to his knees in front of her on the bed. He stared at her, and she noticed a change in his eyes.

"Kenshin?" He reached out his chained hands and pushed the blanket off of her. She was wearing a white sleeping yukata. She watched in confusion as tears formed in his eyes. His fingers ran along her injured cheek and down the opening of her garment over a few fresh purple bruises. He looked into her eyes, and his emotions were so apparent that she wanted to turn away. She wanted to grab the blanket and cover herself back up. She didn't want him to see her in the state she was in. But his gaze held her still.

"Did he do this to you?" Suddenly, she couldn't find her voice. She nodded dumbly, and he bolted upright. There seemed to be anger radiating off of him.

"Where is he? He cannot do this to you! I will make him pay for what he's done!"

"He's not here." He looked down at her.

"Then where is he? Please tell me, Miss Kaoru."

"He is on the battlefield. He will not be home for a while." Kenshin turned to the door and began to move away. He would get him. He would show that man real pain for how he treated the only woman beside his mother to ever care for him. Kaoru stopped him, though. She launched herself to him and grabbed onto his leg.

"No, Kenshin! Please don't go! Please don't leave me!" He dropped back down beside her. She wrapped her arms around him and held him to her chest.

"He can't do this to you."

"He can. I am his wife." She could feel the warrior shaking against her.

"He doesn't own you."

"He does." She felt his tears dropping onto her collarbone. They rolled down to the valley between her breasts. They were warm against the cold air. Kenshin's breaths were ragged. His voice was rough and cracked.

"He can't. He has no right. He just can't. I won't let him." He struggled against his irons, and she unlocked them, causing him to cry even harder. She smoothed his hair as his hands slid around her waist.

"I will punish him for you, Miss Kaoru." She grabbed his chin and tilted it toward her.

"Please don't." He became confused, and he searched for a reason.

"Why not? Why won't you let me help you?" 

"Because you'll get hurt."

"But you would be all right."

"I could never be all right without you." Her grip on his shoulders tightened. She felt like he could slip away from her like water through her fingers. He stared hard into her eyes.

"Why do you say such things about me? I am nothing. I am not even a man." She was overcome by emotion.

"Don't say that! Don't you ever say that again! You are a man. You are the man I love!" She felt him go slack in her arms. All the fight and need for vengeance just went right out of him. Her lips sought his and he responded. She was overwhelmed with happiness as she tasted him again. They broke their kiss and stared at each other.

"I love you, Kenshin." He clung to her like a small child. 

"Oh God, Miss Kaoru. Oh God, I love you too!" He reached for her mouth and kissed her again.

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A/N: That was the longest chapter I have written for this story. Well, it's official. I will write Kenshin Slave Fic 2 next. I will probably post "Letters From Home" first though. I have KSF2 planned to be VERY long. I'm talking 10 or 15 parts with 7 or 10 chapters each. I want to get a bit written before I start posting. Plus, I need a good title. If you don't mind me spoiling the plot for you and you want to help me with the title, drop me an e-mail. Please don't forget to review. I swear I'm like a kid at Christmas every time I check my e-mail.


	18. Bare

Hey, hey! Long time no see. Sorry this took me so long. This is both a warning and an explanation. The following chapter contains sexual acts. It was very hard to write because I wanted to make it obvious that they were having sex while incorporating all of the symbolism and keeping it PG-13. I think I did a pretty good job. It is not graphic or disturbing. It is definitely not a lemon. At most it is a lime. Please read it if you can. Important stuff happens. Oh well, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I still don't own them.

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Kenshin stared at Kaoru in awe. He had never imagined that her skin could be as soft as his fingers told him it was. They trailed along her back eager for more while she placed open-mouthed kisses on his neck. He leaned into them. He had never felt something so wonderful before. It had always been he who did the pleasuring. He knew exactly how to give women what they wanted in the shortest amount of time. He could satisfy them in a way that left them quivering at his touch. But his own needs had always been forgotten, or rather, ignored. He shuddered as Kaoru's hands danced across his chest. She had touched him there many times, but never had it felt so good. Her touch was almost teasing, promising. He buried his face in her loose black hair and inhaled the cherry blossom scent. He could feel himself getting drunk on it as his eyelids got heavy and his movements became slower and more languorous. He felt the ties of his hakama being undone. She moved away from his embrace and smiled at his small sound of protest. She pulled his hakama and loincloth off. He watched silently as she slowly removed the bandages from his nearly healed wounds. The scabs had fallen off earlier that week leaving tender pink scars. She removed the wet socks from his feet and leaned over his head to release his hair. She stood and stared down at his exposed form. There was nothing shielding him from her view. He was as naked as possible. The scars that littered his small body brought tears to her eyes. He watched as she knelt down by his feet and placed a soft kiss on the scar on top of his right foot. He had gotten it when he had dropped a sword his first day of training. She moved up and kissed the long scar on his left shin. He had gotten it when he tripped and scraped it on a branch as he was trying to escape from his captors. It had looked enormous on his small leg. She kissed the scar on his right knee from some dead soldier's hidden dagger. She kissed both of the new scars from the arrows on his thighs. She kissed through the red curly hair where his thighs met his body to four parallel scars caused by an angry woman's fingernails. She kissed the sword wounds. She kissed the whip marks. She kissed the places where people had cut him just for the pleasure of seeing him bleed. She kissed the big scars and the little ones. She kissed the old scars and the new, the faint and the prominent. She placed her mouth on every blemish that had been healed but never forgotten. It was as if she was trying to remedy him with her lips. She moved to his face and looked down into his big violet eyes. They were shaking. She heard his sharp gasp as she lowered her mouth to the brand. She didn't know it, but she kissed it the same way it was formed. Her lips started near his eye and dragged down close to his chin. She started again near his nose and ended near his ear. She could feel his tears running down his cheek. They were salty in her mouth. She placed her mouth to his ear and whispered mostly to herself.

"How could anyone do this to something so perfect?" She felt him tremble beneath her. She lowered her bare body to his and relished in the heat between them. She rolled them over so that he was looking down on her, so he could see all that she was.

"Take me, Kenshin. I give myself to you." He cupped her cheek in his hand.

"Miss Kaoru, I could never do that." She panicked for a moment.

"What do you mean? I thought that you wanted me. You said you loved me."

"I do. More than anything."

"Then why?" His fingers entwined in her hair. He pulled back softly letting the silky strands fall back onto the white pillow.

"Miss Kaoru."

"Please don't call me that, Kenshin. I am no better than you." He smiled at her.

"Kaoru then. I cannot take you because you are not an item that can be traded or won. If your husband cannot own you, then neither can I. I can only show you my love."

"Show me. Please, show me." And he did. He swooped down on her and gave her everything she wanted. She cried out his name as she felt him fill her. He filled her with his love, with his devotion, with all of himself. They moved like the ocean in gentle yet violent waves. Her name spilled from him, hoarse and beautiful. Then he filled her with his seed. She held on to him as he rolled next to her. She sighed at his hot breath as he nuzzled into her breast. She felt rejuvenated, more alive than she had in years. She watched him fall asleep and ran her fingers through his long red hair. She spread it out like a fan and marveled at how, even in the darkness, its color was striking against the whiteness of the bed she and her husband shared.

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A/N: YAY!!! I finally finished it. Please review and tell me what you think of the last line.


	19. Selfish

The last line of the last chapter was supposed to remind you that, although we want Kenshin and Kaoru together, they are still doing the wrong thing. Here we go! 

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

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Kenshin awoke to the feeling of warm softness around him. He smiled as he opened his eyes and met Kaoru's shining down at him. Sunlight was streaming into the room making everything bright and beautiful. Kenshin closed his eyes again satisfied that he was not dreaming and pressed himself closer to her. The feel of her smooth breast against his unblemished cheek and the sound of her heart steadily beating in his ear made him forget, at least for the moment, the horrors of his existence. He rubbed his face on her like a kitten begging for attention. She giggled, and he responded by repeating the action. Her hands came to his hair and spread through it. Over the time he had known her, the action had become a comforting, loving gesture. They were silent for a while just enjoying each other's company. The only sounds were their breathing and the whispers of her fingers in his hair.

"Kenshin?"

"Mm?" She giggled as his reply vibrated against her.

"When was the last time you felt like this?" He lifted his eyes to hers. How wonderful and innocent she seemed to him despite the bruises that ornamented her body. He did not hesitate with his answer.

"Never, Kaoru. I have never in my life been this happy." She lifted his face to hers and kissed him.

"Neither have I." Kenshin settled back against her. He felt as if time had stopped. It was only the two of them in a stationary world. He could have just lain there forever in her arms. But time slows for no man, and quickly he found himself bolting upright. Over the breathing, the whispers, and the steady beating of her heart, he had heard another sound. He grabbed his hakama and hastily tied them. He threw Kaoru's yukata at her.

"What is it Kenshin?" Her face was twisted with worry.

"Someone's coming." She pulled on her clothes and watched as he rooted around her room for a weapon.

"Something, anything. Isn't your husband a swordsman? Where are his swords?"

"He took them with him. Kenshin are you planning to kill him? I thought that you weren't killing anymore." He turned to face her. 

"I'm not. I just need to protect you. I would die if anything happened to you." Kenshin finally settled on a floor lamp. He grabbed it and held with spread legs in front of him like a sword. Kaoru kneeled behind him, her head barely peeking out beside his thigh. They listened to the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.

"Don't worry, Kaoru. No one will ever hurt you while I'm around." The door to her room slid open, and the lamp crashed to the floor. Kaoru felt stuck in the gaze of the eyes staring down at her. She suddenly became very aware of her and Kenshin's appearance. Her yukata was wrinkled and being held together with her hand instead of a tie. Kenshin's hair was loose and the only thing covering him was his white hakama. He was nearly bare for those eyes. Kaoru felt anger rising within her. 

"Well, this is not what I expected to find." Megumi stepped carefully over the broken lamp and gingerly picked up the discarded pink gi. She gently handed it to Kenshin and watched as he slipped it on. 

"What do you want, Megumi?" Kaoru glared at her as she fixed her yukata.

"I came to bring the Battousai back to the hospital. I checked in this morning and he wasn't there. I thought you would have been smart enough to send him back. So, I told the guards that I kept him overnight." Kenshin felt hands wrap around his leg. He looked down at his new lover as she pressed her head against him. 

"You can't have him. Why should I give him to you?" She spat the words at the doctor. 

"If you don't want any more of those bruises, you should let him go." Kaoru's eyes softened. She looked up at the worried face above her then back at the woman watching her.

"Megumi."

"I know it hurts, but it will hurt more if he gets killed. If you don't let him go, his blood will be on your hands." Kaoru's grip tightened. She shook her head.

"You are a selfish little girl! Would you really risk his life for your happiness?" Kaoru felt tears well up in her eyes. She didn't understand how things could have changed so quickly. Minutes before, she had been happier than any other time in her life.

"But he's, he's." She buried her face in the material of his hakama.

"He's what, Kaoru?"

"He's mine. He belongs to me." She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She let out a sob as she felt Kenshin stiffen in her arms. She had claimed him before, but she had never professed ownership.

"Your Kenshin? Yours? Where do you get off saying that? If he's anybody's, he's Kyoto's. Let him go!" Kaoru didn't hear her words. She was looking teary eyed at the red head she had made love to the previous night. There was an aura of sadness about him. She clung to him. She pled with him. 

"I'm so sorry! That's not what I meant, Kenshin. You know that's not what I meant!" His voice was soft and even.

"I know, Miss Kaoru." 

"Oh God, Kenshin, please don't call me that."

"What have you done? Look at what you've done to him!" Kaoru let go of his leg and stood. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. Her voice was choked as she apologized over and over. Slowly his arms slid around her waist. He clutched her close.

"It's okay, Kaoru. I don't ever want to be the reason you cry." She broke from his embrace and ran to her dresser. She pulled out a light blue ribbon and pressed it into his hands.

"This is my favorite ribbon. I have to get it back." She took his startled lips with hers.

"Kaoru."

"Go with Miss Megumi." She reached down and clamped the irons on his wrists.

"Now you are doing the right thing." Megumi took his hand and began to lead him away. He was reluctant to go at first, then fell into step with the doctor. Kaoru chased after them to the front door. She called out as she watched them step off of her porch.

"I love you, Kenshin!"

"I love you too, Kaoru!"

They walked along toward the hospital. Past the lake, past the trees.

"Hurry up. I have to go check on Mrs. Shinomori. She should be having her baby any day now."

"Shinomori?"

"Yes, Misao, Aoshi Shinomori's wife."

"Aoshi is the one who gave me my reverse bladed sword."

"Why?"

"So I don't have to kill anymore." Megumi pushed the door to the hospital open, and they walked to his bed. She picked up the sword and pulled it out of its sheath a bit. The sunlight from the window reflected off of it, brightening her face. She returned it to the scabbard with a clink and the clatter of white beads. Her hand moved to her side. She rubbed the spot near her waist where a tattered red ribbon was hidden under her kimono. She laid the sword beside his bed.

"I will tell Kaoru to thank him."

"I appreciate it, Miss Megumi." She turned to walk away.

"And Miss Megumi?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

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A/N: I didn't get many reviews last chapter. Did you guys not like it? Review and let me know.

Also, I have finally decided on a title for my second Kenshin slave fic, "Sin and Salvation." I have outlined 3/ 4 of it in my head and 1/ 4 of it on paper. I should be starting on it, print-wise, very soon.


	20. Three Days

YAY!! I finally got over my writer's block in a big way. Check out "Letters Home," "Together," and "Reflection."

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

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Three days. It had been three long days since Kenshin had smiled, since he had seen Kaoru. He sat cross-legged in his bed, his head down. He was carefully examining his hands. He stretched them out and looked at the small lines and wrinkles, the dirt under the fingernails Kaoru had so meticulously trimmed. His fingers were long and thin. They almost looked too delicate to belong to a murderer, almost too feminine. The sun setting outside the window cast a reddish glare on them. He turned them over. His palms were covered in rough calluses caused by too many years of clinging to the hilt of a sword. He wondered how the harsh skin had felt against the softness of her breast. Had it really only been three days? He curled his hands into fists and watched his knuckles turn white. Blood seeped out from under his carefully trimmed fingernails. He looked at the crescents he had pierced through his tough skin. The biting pain and the blood pooling in his palms felt strangely good. He closed his eyes.

"Still alive." His voice was airy and soft as if he barely believed it. He heard someone get up and pad across the floor. There was a swish, a swallow, and a small splash as the man took a drink from the water bucket. The man in the next bed was already asleep. He was breathing steadily and soundly, unplagued by awful nightmares of the past or worse, the future. The irons clinked as Kenshin turned his hands. The blood fell slowly, drop by drop, making a red pattern on the white sheets. The door to the hospital opened, and his breath caught. It was her. Suddenly, there was nothing, no one but Kaoru. He forgot the irons and blood on his hands and was surprised when he pulled against them.

"Kaoru!" His eyes were full of fear as she kept her head down. Why didn't she look at him? Why didn't she respond when he called to her?

"How dare you?" He turned to see Captain Saitou barreling toward him.

"How dare you call my wife by name?" Kenshin uncurled his legs, bent to the floor, and stood all in one motion. Saitou stopped in his tracks. White beads clattered and dripped with Kenshin's blood. Saitou's hand went to his side. The sounds of swords being readied were heard. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. The captain and four guards.

"Where did you get that sword?" Kenshin gripped the hilt with chained hands and swung the sword forward. The sheath slid across the floor and landed near Kaoru's feet. She did not look up. The red light from the window reflected off the naked blade.

"Lower your weapon, Battousai. I am not here to hurt you. I am here to bring you back to your owners." Kenshin barely heard him. Why was she staring down like that?

"I have no intention of returning to Kyoto." He sank into a battle stance, sword raised. Saitou smirked and drew his own weapon.

"You will do what you are told."

"I will not! Kaoru!" His voice was loud and desperate. Saitou moved toward his wife.

"Still calling her name?" He grabbed her chin.

"Don't touch her!" Saitou laughed. 

"Don't touch my own wife? My property?" Kenshin's violet eyes blazed.

"She belongs to no one."

"She belongs to me." Saitou lowered a kiss to her mouth. Kenshin shook with anger.

"Are you upset, Battousai? Are you jealous?"

"Get away from her so I can strike you." Saitou smiled and pushed Kaoru against the wall. She slammed into it, then righted herself, head down. Kenshin glared at Saitou.

"You won't ever hurt her again."

"Try and stop me." They rushed at each other. Their blades hit, echoing through the room. They circled like wolves, faces inches from each other.

"You will pay for touching her." Kenshin was livid, his voice sharp.

"So will you." They flew backward then charged again. Over and over. Attack. Parry. Counterattack. Parry. Break. They were a flurry of red and black hair. Every movement was fluid, almost choreographed, as if they were performing in some elaborate play. Kenshin occasionally called Kaoru's name, but her head stayed down like she was more interested in the floor or perhaps the bloody sheath and its beads. Red lights danced on her kimono and down turned face from the swords like splattered blood. Saitou cried out as he was hit with the blunt edge of Kenshin's sword. Suddenly, the sharp point was under the taller man's chin.

"Kaoru!" She didn't move.

"Kaoru look at me!" 

"She won't look, Battousai. She knows her place."

"Kaoru!" Kenshin stared at her. She was not the Kaoru he knew, the Kaoru that had called out his name as he expressed his love. The woman before him was a shell. She was Captain Saitou's wife as he had been Battousai instead of Kenshin. His chest started to ache, and his sword lowered. What was he fighting for? In a moment, he was on his back. His weapon joined his sheath in their place on the floor. Saitou's sword rested at his throat.

"Watch, wife. Look at him as he asks and watch as I remind him of his position in life." Kenshin locked eyes with Kaoru, and his heart sunk. In them was no pain, no fear, no sadness, hatred, or love. There was only acceptance in those eyes. She would not fight or even speak up. She would watch silently like she was told. For the first time at the familiar feeling of a blade piercing his left cheek, he did not cry out.

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A/N: THIS IS NOT THE END!!!!!! There are at least five more chapters and maybe an epilogue if you want one. For a sneak peek at the next chapter, listen to "Black" by Pearl Jam. I am actually using one of the lines. Please review!


	21. The Ribbon

Wow. It's been a while. I finally got this chapter out though. I think this is one of the most artistic prose pieces I've ever written. Especially the second part. Well, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

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Ice blue or periwinkle. He couldn't decide if it was the color of the bluest sky or of tears in the moonlight. He traced his finger across the silk. He knew the feeling of it under his hands better than he knew himself. It was one of the only things left in his life that he could be absolutely sure of. There was almost nothing else. Was he still a murderer even though he did not kill, only incapacitated so others could destroy in his wake? Was he still in love or just clinging to an illusion? Who was he really? A man? A tool or toy? Maybe an empty shell like she had been the last time he saw her? Was she still alive? Was he still alive? Was the ribbon lying on the ground before him like her body once did ice blue or periwinkle? He picked the small piece of fabric up and pressed it to his face. He inhaled deeply. It had lost its cherry blossom scent long ago and truly should have smelled of his blood; it had been spilt on it so many times. But every drop had been carefully cleaned off in the river. He would be disgusting, dirty, bleeding, sitting by the river scrubbing the silk. Kenshin carefully tied the ribbon around his right arm just above his elbow. He pulled down the sleeves of his dark blue gi and adjusted the band that held his hair high and tight on his head. He rose slowly, reverse bladed sword and dagger at his side. He breathed in slowly, filling his belly, chest, throat. He let it out in one even breath. There was no sound, but his lips mouthed her name.

He walked slowly down the main street and watched people pass him by. He was invisible to them as they walked without giving him a second glance. In any other place, a man armed and obviously skilled as he was would be feared and respected regardless of his loyalties. But in Kyoto, Battousai the Manslayer, a man who was known as the best killing slave ever was a slave none the less. When someone slammed into him, he was the one who was berated. He moved like a ghost among them with soft feet and fluid motion. Occasionally, someone would stop him, take him into an alley, fondle him, and then return to their denial of his existence. He was like an old painting, dusty and forgotten but for fleeting moments of admiration. He made his way toward his camp, his prison without bars. The sun beat down on him, and he felt heavy. As he continued, he became more and more aware of each deliberate step. Right, left, right, left. One foot in front of the other. He felt like he was always moving but never getting anywhere.

He stopped suddenly as a small pink ball rolling against his foot broke his steady stride. He looked up to see two little girls, one with pigtails, the other with long brown hair, and a young boy running toward him.

"Give me my ball!" The pigtailed girl reached out her arms expectantly. He returned the toy and turned to continue his trek.

"Hey! Hey slave!" He looked back to see the boy standing with his hands on his hips, a shinai strapped to his back. He pointed expectantly at his feet. Kenshin fell to his knees and pressed his forehead into the red earth. As he bowed low to the boy, he could feel the ends of the ribbon brushing against his forearm.

"Rise, slave. I need you to watch these girls. I have to practice." Kenshin stood and obediently followed the three children, head down, bangs obscuring his face. 

The young boy swung his wooden sword around as Kenshin sat and entertained the little girls. He caught the pink ball. Swish. The sword whipped through the air. He rolled the toy toward the girls. Swish. From the corner of his eyes, he watched the boy intently. His form was wrong. He left himself open from behind and on the left side. All he had to do was sneak around. Swish. And strike, hard and fast. Swish. The boy wouldn't last long in battle. Swish. Kenshin whipped his head suddenly as the older girl with loose hair placed her hand in his. Her five-year-old fingers looked so small against his palm. He stroked her hand with his thumb. He wondered if the life he had felt inside Misao had hands as small. He admired the softness of them, the tiny fingernails. Swish. Her child's hands were probably bigger, tougher. It had been so long. He looked up into the girl's big brown eyes. She giggled at him.

"Your eyes are pretty. Suzume! Look at his eyes!" The pig tailed girl bounded over and came very close to his face.

"Pretty purple! Pretty purple!" They danced around him in a circle.

"Pretty purple! Pretty purple!" The ball rolled away across the grass, forgotten. Swish.

"Hey, slave man, why don't you smile?" Kenshin looked at the little girls. The sun was beginning to set. The sky was tinged with pink and orange. Swish. He looked at the boy. He was still leaving his left side open. His head bowed to his knees, and he clutched them into his chest. Swish. The girls chased after the newly remembered ball. Their laughter rang in his ears. He didn't want to hear it.

"Young master." Swish. He lifted his head from his knees and called again.

"Young master." Swish. The girls returned to him. He stood and brushed by them.

"Young master!" As the wooden sword came down, Kenshin caught it before it could make that noise again. He stood gripping it tightly to the boy's left side. Behind him, the girls giggled. Kenshin cringed. That sound tore him up inside. The young boy glared at him, and he released the sword.

"Young master, I must return to the camp. Tomorrow we take Edo. We have been fighting all this time for this coming moment. It is very important that I be ready."

"What do you think I've been practicing for?" He turned, gathered up the laughing girls, the pink ball, and made his way away from Kenshin who was invisible once more.

As Kenshin made his way down the street, he watched red dust come up and curl about his feet like serpents. As the light waned, he stopped and faced west. The sun was no longer heavy on his back, and he stared as the last red streaks died on the horizon. He could feel his own weight again, light and empty. He had compared her to the sun many times. She was his light, keeping him grounded, full with her warmth. It hurt every night when the darkness came over the earth. He knew where she was. A cool breeze ruffled his clothes and his tightly bound hair. He knew she was the sun in somebody else's sky. Always keeping away the cold night. He dropped to his hands and knees in the dust. It swirled outward like a wave. The moon was full above him. His body shook, and he ground became wet with the evidence of his sorrow.

"Why?" His voice was loud and shaky. He threw his head into the air. His hair flew back, and he bellowed into the night.

"Why can't it be mine?" The ribbon loosened and fell from his sleeve. Periwinkle. It was definitely the color of tears in the moonlight.

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A/N: Haha! Stole the last piece of dialog right from Pearl Jam's "Black." Well, how did this chapter feel? I wanted to make it a peaceful, sorrowful feeling. Did you like the sound interjections (swish)? Did it help to break up that part and pull you into the imagery? In case you didn't get it by my subtle reference, Kenshin has been back in Kyoto for over five years. There is still quite a bit more so don't fret. Please check out my book of poetry, "Unwavering From A Candle." No one has reviewed it yet. Pout. Oh well, please review this chapter.


	22. Confrontation

Hi! I'm back from the dead! Sorry about the long wait for this chapter. I really had a hard time writing it because I like the next chapters better. There are at least two more and then an epilogue if you want it. Oh well. I started this chapter about nineteen times before I was satisfied. Please forgive that it's so short.

Disclaimer: Kenshin and all his buddies and enemies belong to someone else.

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The lights of Edo were bright in the distance. They looked like little flames breaking through some black piece of wood. She was there. Just a mile or two away from him. Kenshin swung his sword against his opponent, and he fell with a thud. Kenshin looked down at the man. He would have a nasty bruise to his neck. He probably would never be able to breathe easily for the rest of his life. But he would breathe again. He would breathe heavily as he threw a ball to his daughter or taught his son to wield a sword or made love to his wife. Kenshin sighed and moved away, ever closer to the lights of Edo. Suddenly, the scent of tobacco filled his lungs. He looked to his left over the expanse of unconscious bodies. He never looked behind him. Behind him, there were boys trying to find the people he'd left alive and kill them. Kenshin did not like being witness to death that he couldn't stop. He watched the burning end of a cigarette move closer to him.

"I always smoke in battle. The taste of it drowns out the blood. I close my eyes, and I could be anywhere. Waiting for dinner, in the market picking out vegetables, or even on my porch after making love to my wife. That's a wonderful feeling, isn't it Battousai? Except, you didn't smoke, did you? Stealing my wife and my cigarettes would have been just too much." Kenshin narrowed his eyes at the man before him. There was hatred rolling off of him in waves. How could this man speak of her so carelessly? The white beads of his sheath clattered as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

"I want you to know something, Battousai. You took away the most important thing in my life. I love my wife. I've loved her since the moment we met. That's why I didn't kill you that day. She wouldn't have liked it. I love her, but you stole her love away from me. For five years, we were happy. I treated her wonderfully. Then you show up, and everything changes." He took a puff off of his cigarette. Kenshin sank into a battle stance, freeing his sword ever so slightly from its sheath.

"I tried to get her love back. I treated her like gold. I made her a veritable princess. I did anything, everything for her to make her love me. I bought her new clothes, jewelry. It didn't work. So I heated her bath for her. I got us a softer futon. You know what she did? She took the old one into a spare room. The entire time I'm not home, she lays in that futon. Nothing worked. So I asked her what she wanted. Do you know what she said, Battousai?" He took another puff of his cigarette. Kenshin remained silent and motionless.

"Kenshin," he hissed, "That bitch wanted you. So I did other things to win her love. I made love to her, over and over. She cried, Battousai! She cried when I touched her. She used to whimper. She used to call out my name. Now she cries. She whispers your name like she thinks I can't hear her. She cries because of what you did to her!"

"She cries because of what you did to her," Kenshin replied. Saitou spit the cigarette out of his mouth at Kenshin.

"Shut up! That didn't work. Nothing I did worked. Then, we found out. I did what I had to do, and she started hating me. Then, I tried to beat it into her. If I couldn't earn her love, I would take it. I would make her love me! I hit her until I couldn't recognize her for the blood, and still she called out your name! She called for you as if you could save her!" Kenshin's eyes were wide and their violet depths swirled with anger.

"I will save her! You will suffer for what you have done to Kaoru!"

"Don't you ever say her name! I will kill you, and then she will have to love me again!" The two men rocketed toward each other. Their swords clashed, sending tiny sparks spraying away from them. They pushed into each other vying for strength before breaking apart. Saitou raced toward Kenshin again, his sword held high in his left hand. He slammed down into him but hit nothing but air as Kenshin turned and dodged the strike. Had he not hated him so much, Saitou would have marveled at the way Kenshin moved like water, always fluid and graceful, always moving. Kenshin's sword came up around and slammed into Saitou's side. He stumbled a bit before turning and launching his attack again. Again Kenshin evaded. His sword slammed into his neck. Saitou huffed a few times. His sword lunged forward, striking Kenshin in the shoulder. The smaller man cried out and backed off. Saitou slowly rose to his feet.

"Die, Battousai!" He charged. Kenshin ducked at the last possible moment, weaved around him, and struck him in the neck again. Saitou dropped to his knees and passed out. Kenshin breathed slowly and gripped his injured shoulder. He felt the ribbon pool itself in the sleeve of his uninjured arm. Carefully he untied it and looked down at Saitou. He gripped the ribbon tightly.

"It's time I return this to whom it belongs." He looked toward the fiery lights of Edo and ran as fast as he could.

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A/N: Check out my sestinas and my RK/IY crossover "Hanyou." Please review!


	23. Homecoming

Wow! It's been a really long time. I'm really sorry. I'm doing my best I swear.

Disclaimer: Not mine

Kenshin ran as fast as he could into town. He passed battle after battle of hand to hand combat and just kept moving. He had to get to her. He had to see her. At one point, a man threw himself into Kenshin's path. He barely caught sight of the famed red-headed devil before he was on the ground clutching his throat. He couldn't slow down. He wouldn't slow down. His thoughts just kept replaying the same thing over and over. _She's so close. She's so close._

Her house was just like he remembered it. Past the grove of trees and the lake, it stood with the front door closed, a wind chime lightly ringing on the porch. He reached his hand to throw the door open, and paused. His breath was ragged from running. His heart was pounding in his chest. His legs burned from an entire morning's exertions, and he just stood there, fingers trembling. He had worked so hard for so long to see her again. She was his every waking thought and most of his dreams. But he was frightened. He could not remember ever being this frightened before. What would he find behind that door? Would she still be the same shell that he had left her as? Would her eye sparkle for him at all? The memory of her emotionless face overcame him, and he fell to the ground with a thud. He hung his head. Would it be too late? The door flung itself open. He found himself staring at a small pair of feet and the bottom of a blue kimono.

"Kenshin?" Her voice was shocked, full of disbelief. Suddenly, he was enfolded in her warmth. Her arms were tight around him. She sobbed into his shoulder. She was there. She was real. She was crying for him. He opened his mouth. He had practiced so many times the things he would say to her. He had it scripted perfectly. It was supposed to be poetic and beautiful. He leaned back to look into her bright blue eyes. There were bags underneath them. She hadn't been sleeping. Her face was gaunter than he remembered, as if she hadn't been eating either. Bruises were fading from her cheeks. His mouth closed. Opened again. Closed.

"I brought you this." He held out the ribbon. She took it gently from him.

"Thank you."

"I missed you." She held him tightly again.

"I missed you, too, my Kenshin." His mouth was on hers in a flash. He lifted her gently and walked her back inside. He opened the door to her bedroom, and she shook her head. She pointed a slender finger down the hall.

"Over there." Her voice was soft and delicate. He opened the door and laid her down on the futon. He inhaled her scent deeply. He kissed her again. He felt like everything was surreal, like he'd wake up any moment in his tent, alone.

"I love you so much." He almost choked on the words.

"I love you, too."

"I never stopped thinking of you."

"Neither did I." His lips sought hers. He was lost in her. Lost in her scent, her softness, her beauty. They were together again. He gripped her narrow waist. This was no dream. He would take her away. They would go to the west, by the beaches. There were no slaves there. He would build her a home and make her his wife. He didn't care that she still technically had a husband. They weren't meant for each other. She was meant for him. She loved him. Even after all the time they were apart. He pressed his body into hers, and watched confused as her eyes widened in shock.

"How dare you touch her, you insolent bastard!" Kenshin cried out in pain as Saitou's sword hit him in the side. He pushed Kaoru aside.

"How are you here?" Kenshin stumbled to his feet and drew his sword.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance. Now it is you who will die!" Saitou lunged at him. Kenshin parried and spun around him. Blood began to drip down his light grey hakama.

"Kenshin!"

"Don't say his name!" Saitou turned his rage on Kaoru, but before his blade could strike, he was thrown across the room. Kenshin let out an unearthly yell and charged again. The sound of swords hitting echoed through the room. Spark flew as the men pressed into each other. Saitou swung around. Kenshin dodged. Saitou came down. Kenshin parried. Saitou thrust. Kaoru screamed. Kenshin fell to one knee. He coughed a few times and spit up blood. Saitou licked his bloody sword as Kenshin clutched his side.

"And now you die." Saitou did not see the sweep of black hair until it was too late. He stared down at Kaoru, confused. Her hand clutched the small dagger that was embedded in his neck. Her chest was convulsing.

"I loved you." Saitou fell to his knees after whispering those words softly. Kaoru released the dagger, and his hands flew to it. He ripped it out. Blood squirted from his neck. He looked pained for a moment as his life left him, and then he crumpled to the ground.

"No," Kenshin whispered as he cried into Kaoru's chest. He had caught her while she was falling. His eyes darted back and forth between her face and her husband's sword. It was deep in her abdomen.

"No. Not now. No. Kaoru, you'll be okay." Her fingers drifted up to his face. They traced his scar.

"I'll always be with you."

"No! Don't say that! You'll be okay." But he was losing confidence as her blood seeped into the floorboards.

"Listen to me, Kenshin." He looked into her big blue eyes. Why now? Why after he had come so far?

"Are you listening?"

"Yes." It was barely a whisper.

"Go see Misao. She has something of yours." Kenshin pulled her closer. He buried his face in her neck.

"We'll go together. You'll be okay, and we can go together. Kaoru?" Her body hung lifeless in his arms.

"Kaoru?" He felt as though he'd been ripped apart. He was breathing so quickly he couldn't speak. He shook her gently then harder and harder. He screamed.

"KAORU!"

A/N: Please review. If you do, I'll write another chapter.


	24. Her Gift

Umm... Hi. It's been a while. I'll spare you the intricacies of my personal life and leave you without an exuse. Suffice it to say things sucked for a long time, but everything's ok now. Hopefully I can get back to fanfiction seeing as it makes me happy. Sorry for making you wait so long. I suck. And for all those reviewers begging me to tell them that Kaoru didn't die... I'm sorry about that too...

Disclaimer: It's a damn good thing I don't own Kenshin. Look what I did to him!

Misao sat on her porch carefully working yarn into a blanket. Winter was coming closer, and with so many little ones in her care she could never have enough of the delicately crafted material. The sun had only risen a few hours before, birds were still singing in the trees, and the lake was clear and calm before her. She hummed a small tune to herself and did her best to forget that her country was still in the midst of a bloody war with Kyoto. In the distance she could see someone approaching down the small dirt path that led to her door. She thought at first it was a drunk as he staggered back and forth along the lane. It wasn't until he fell into a heap 100 yards from her, that she recognized who the man was. The sun reflected off his bright red hair.

"Aoshi!"

When he woke, he was unsure of where he was. He was unsure of anything. Wasn't he supposed to be fighting? Where was the tent? Where were his swords? He lie on the futon in the unfamiliar room and looked around. His sword lie on the ground at the foot of the bedding. There were cherry trees outside; their gentle scent came wafting to him. And it all came back. He bolted upright.

Misao looked over to Aoshi in their small kitchen. The cheery laughter of the children playing in the yard gave the scene a pleasant atmosphere, but a heavy cloud hung over the two adults.

"Do you think he'll be okay?"

"Physically, he will be fine. Mentally, however..." Aoshi turned his head and looked at the ground. Misao brought her small hands to her face.

"Do you think that Kaoru... That she..."

"There was fresh soil on his fingers and blood all over his clothing. I believe that she has moved into the other world." And as if to confirm his suspiscions, from the guest room where they had placed Kenshin to rest came an anguished scream. It was choked off, broken by sobs. And then came another, and another. The grief radiated from the room in waves; they could actually feel it from their place in the kitchen. The laughter of the children had stopped. Aoshi stood and made his way toward the broken man. He hesitated outside the door.

"NOOOO! KAORUUU!" More sobs. Aoshi rapped lightly on the door frame.

"Kenshin?" He tested. More unintelligable words, garbled and run together.

"I'm coming in." He slid the door open with a snap. Kenshin was on his knees bent almost to the floor with his face in his hands. He looked slowly up at Aoshi.

"She's gone," he whispered.

"Yes," Aoshi replied.

"She told me to come here when she was dying in my arms. There is something of mine here. She insited with her last breath.But I couldn't come right away. I had to bury her. I had to put her to rest under the tree we used to practice under. Oh god, Kaoru."

"Yes," he repeated, "You'll need to pull yourself together and come with me." Kenshin tiredly gathered himself up. Aoshi had changed him from his bloody clothes to one of his own yukatas. It was too long in the sleeves and hem, and the belt was wrapped around him twice. He felt very small in it. He slid his reverse blade sword into its place at his side and followed Aoshi around to the opposite end of the house. Kenshin's eyes widened when they arrived at the part of the porch that overlooked the area the children played in. Among Misao and Aoshi's young ones, was a small boy about five years old. He had a full head of bright red hair.

"Kenji, please come over here." The small boy ran over and looked timidly up at Kenshin. The older man fell to his knees in front of the child. He had Kaoru's big blue eyes. Kenshin's hand went up to his small face and traced the outline of a faded scar cut into an X on his cheek. His eyes shot to Aoshi for an explaination.

"Saito," he whispered. Saito had tried to dispose of his son. He had tried to turn him into a slave like his father. But he wasn't. He was saved. He was in front of him, staring confused into his eyes. The tiny red headed boy was Kaoru's gift to him.

"Are you Kenshin?" he asked. Kenshin just stared.

"Are you? You have red hair just like mother said you would. Are you my father?" He nodded dumbly as the boy threw his arms around him. Kenshin quickly returned the hug.

"My son," he whispered.

"I knew you'd come back one day. I knew you would." Kenshin buried his face in his son's small shoulder, and cried.

Misao stood with Aoshi on her front porch. Kenshin was walking away with her former charge Kenji in his arms. Their red hair glinted like fire in the dying sunlight as they made their way down the path Kenshin had barely staggered up that morning. Misao's children clung to her skirt, and Aoshi wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She sniffed back some tears.

"Will they be alright?" she asked, looking up at him. His gaze stayed fixed on the road.

"I don't know for sure. Battousai the Manslayer is dead now. All that's left is a man who is tired of war and slavery, a man who wants nothing more than for his son to live in peace and happiness."

"You really think so?"

"Yes." She returned her eyes to the two retreating figures.

"Then I think they'll be just fine."

A/N: Well... That's it. The End. Maybe I'll write an epilouge. I have one cooked up in my haed but I'm not sure if it really needs one. Shoot me a review. Hopefully my next story won't take 3 years to finish.


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